Mason Bee
A solitary native bee that is an extraordinarily efficient pollinator - a single mason bee pollinates as many flowers as 120 honeybees. They use mud to seal nesting tubes.
Why you want them
Mason bees are among the most effective pollinators of orchard fruit, soft fruit, and early spring flowers. They are active from late winter through to early summer, bridging the gap before other pollinators become abundant. Because they carry dry pollen loosely on their abdomens rather than packing it into pollen baskets, they deposit far more pollen per flower visit than social bees. Providing a bee hotel with the right tube diameter can establish a thriving local population.
How to attract them
- Fruit tree blossom
- Dandelion
- Forget-me-not
- Primrose
- Lungwort
- Flowering currant
Preferred habitat
Pre-existing cavities in wood, hollow stems, bee hotels, and south-facing walls. They nest in tubes 1/4 to 3/8 inch in diameter and seal chambers with mud, which they collect nearby.
What harms them
Loss of nesting sites, pesticide use during bloom, removal of mud sources, parasitic wasps that target their larvae, and bee hotels placed in unsuitable locations.
Garden, by Willowbottom works with nature, not against it. Support your garden allies and they will do most of the hard work for you.