Will Work For Food! Free housing too!

JoeReal · 03-18-2008, 10:48 PM

Will really work for food. So I provided free housing as well. I've seen very few bees in our yard and must find substitute pollinators. Although there are syrphid flies that pollinate the plums, I don't see them on my pears and apples. Must have some bees, but the bees are dying left and right due to colony collapse disorder. A friend gave me some mason (or carpenter) bees. Must have plan B pollinators. And they will work just for food. No SSS and medical benefits needed.

By joereal at 2008-03-18

The house made from scrap wood, attached to the west fence, facing east. It gets sun in the morning and shaded by the fence in the afternoon.

By joereal at 2008-03-18

mskitty38583 · 03-18-2008, 10:54 PM

i have seen more bees in the last 3 weeks then i did all last year. and there have been no psyco bees that i have seen either, like i did last year. maybe(cross your fingers) they will pull through and will re-establish their counts. i hope they do come back well the world w/o hunny( according to pooh bear) is not a good world.

CookieCows · 03-18-2008, 11:13 PM

Joe that bee house really looks interesting. I'd like to read more about what you're doing. Do you have a website handy? That looks easier than having an actual hive to have to take care of.

Ric and I sit and toss around the ideal of having just one hive. It's just in the thinking stage right now. There are several people locally that could help us. I know it won't happen this year but if we continue to have a slow down on bees also it'll be an idea we take more seriously but first I want to check out this little bee house with cotten thing you have going on!!

JoeReal · 03-18-2008, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mskitty38583

i have seen more bees in the last 3 weeks then i did all last year. and there have been no psyco bees that i have seen either, like i did last year. maybe(cross your fingers) they will pull through and will re-establish their counts. i hope they do come back well the world w/o hunny( according to pooh bear) is not a good world.

Last year there are more bees in my yard than this year. Maybe ours flew over there! I'm still hoping the bees will rebound. I've read somewhere that some of the native bees are more resilient to the CCD and they are working on that aspect too. Some wild bees in dessert were found not to have any of the mites nor the dreaded CCD indicators.

JoeReal · 03-18-2008, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CookieCows

Joe that bee house really looks interesting. I'd like to read more about what you're doing. Do you have a website handy? That looks easier than having an actual hive to have to take care of.

Ric and I sit and toss around the ideal of having just one hive. It's just in the thinking stage right now. There are several people locally that could help us. I know it won't happen this year but if we continue to have a slow down on bees also it'll be an idea we take more seriously but first I want to check out this little bee house with cotten thing you have going on!!

The mason bees are gentler and are easier to take care of. They are not as social and massive as the honey bees. they don't produce honey so they don't attract other unwanted honey lovers. But I'd prefer to have the honey but my kids don't like a lot of bees. It doesn't hurt to have both types in your yard.

I'm building up a tutorial on how to build these step by step. It is also a science fair project of my youngest kid at the same time,

momoese · 03-19-2008, 10:12 AM

You're a brave one Joe! I have been attacked by those things and am now a bit paranoid every time one enters the garden. On the other hand we have a hive of honey bees living in the stucco wall that separates our neighbors yard from ours. The wall had a really big colony living there that was scaring my neighbor so she paid a bee man to come and remove them and seal up the crack in wall. Well I guess the crack reopened because another colony moved in and has been there for about a year now!

mskitty38583 · 03-19-2008, 10:15 AM

doe your neighbor not relize how beneficial bees are? if you want to keep them in your yard you can make a makeshift hive and half the colony will split and move in. i wanted to have a hive but with my dogs, that isnt a fesible idea now

JoeReal · 03-19-2008, 11:03 AM

Mason Bees are far less aggressive than Honey Bees. We know already that Honey bees are gentler than the Africanized Honey Bees.

Mason bees don't swarm, and they don't form large colonies, just a tiny fraction of individuals when compared to bees. They live in tiny cavities and not in hives, and so are far fewer in numbers. Mason bees are native bees of America and were here before people came to the US. The Mason Bees should be encouraged.

"This Bee Is Gentle

The orchard mason bee is non-aggressive and will sting only if handled roughly or if it should get trapped under clothing. It is less objectionable than the honey bee as a pollinator in urban areas and should be encouraged. Efforts are being made experimentally to develop large populations of these bees to use as a supplement to honey bees for fruit pollination, much as the alfalfa leafcutting bee was developed for alfalfa seed pollination.

Collecting Orchard Mason Bees

If you wish to develop populations for pollinating a home or commercial orchard, you can set out trap nests to collect the bees. Trap nests can be made by drilling holes 1/4 to 3/8 inches in diameter and 3 to 6 inches deep in pine or fir 4x4's. A "brad-point bit" leaves a nice, smooth hole. Alfalfa leafcutting bee boards with hole diameters of at least 1/4 inch can also be used. Attach the boards to a house or other structure where you have seen the bees. Some protection from rain is desirable. You may also place boards on dead trees or posts in wooded areas near streams where there is a good supply of mud for nest construction and wild flowers on which to forage.

Position boards where they will receive morning sunlight. Put the nests up in March before the bees begin nesting and remove them in early to mid-summer when nesting is completed. If the boards are stored outdoors over winter (under cover to protect them from rain and snow) the bees will usually emerge in March and April. They should forage for pollen during the period of cherry and apple bloom and afterwards, if sufficient other flowers are available to them.

Here's more details:

Orchard Mason Bees

mskitty38583 · 03-19-2008, 11:06 AM

will have to remember that. thanks for the info

momoese · 03-19-2008, 01:17 PM

I'm thinking they must have been Bumble bees because they were living inside the door of an old rusty car that had been stored for years in a spot that was never disturbed. They were very large, about the size of a nickel.

My hive of Honey bees seem to be fairly tame. I have yet to have any issues with them, but I do stay away from the hive and if something disturbs them I go inside the house until they calm down.

Richard · 03-21-2008, 02:21 PM

Last year a swarm of European honey bees settled into my flame grapes. When the automatic irrigation system came on the next day, they departed. Darn! However, I think they settled into a more private location in some nearby unattended yard. This spring the levels of bees seems to be "normal" -- although I do have lots of flowering herbs around to attract them.

Dean W. · 03-22-2008, 11:00 AM

Way to go! I haven't seen homemade bee hive house.

Dean

Richard · 03-22-2008, 01:36 PM

Check out the totally awesome tutorial at Mason Bee House Construction

Read it from post #1 forward ...

CookieCows · 03-22-2008, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mskitty38583

i have seen more bees in the last 3 weeks then i did all last year. and there have been no psyco bees that i have seen either, like i did last year. maybe(cross your fingers) they will pull through and will re-establish their counts. i hope they do come back well the world w/o hunny( according to pooh bear) is not a good world.

I was chopping kindling about a month ago and ran across what looked like bumble bees hibernating under the bark. You could see the wood eaten away with the tunneling. When they fell out they just slowly died with little movement. I'm really not sure what they were. I DO know that we had lots of blossoms on our squash and melons last year with very little fruit so am waiting to see if (husband) Ric wants to order some of these mason bees as it sure looks easy. The tutorial is amazing! I think you should copywrite that Joe now that it's out on the internet!

Deb

D_&_T · 03-23-2008, 04:18 PM

Here is a site I found on Mason Bees.

Knox Cellars Native Pollinators

mskitty38583 · 03-23-2008, 05:03 PM

thanks! that was a great site. i bookmarked it for later usage.

D_&_T · 03-23-2008, 10:23 PM

So did I. Going to build few nests to try starting colony before ordering!

Richard · 03-23-2008, 10:40 PM

What about the destructive nature of mason bees? Is this minimized by providing a year-round food supply with blooming plants, or ?

D_&_T · 03-23-2008, 10:44 PM

From what I have read so far the adults are only around a couple of months, to full nest of pollen and eggs.

mskitty38583 · 03-24-2008, 07:29 AM

i have hummer feeder, i dont care to keep it full year round for the little helpers.

03-18-2008, 10:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
JoeReal Senior Member JoeReal's Photo Gallery Location: Davis, California USDA zone 9 Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,034 BananaBucks : 406,731 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 108 Times Was Thanked 474 Times in 228 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Will Work For Food! Free housing too! Will really work for food. So I provided free housing as well. I've seen very few bees in our yard and must find substitute pollinators. Although there are syrphid flies that pollinate the plums, I don't see them on my pears and apples. Must have some bees, but the bees are dying left and right due to colony collapse disorder. A friend gave me some mason (or carpenter) bees. Must have plan B pollinators. And they will work just for food. No SSS and medical benefits needed. By joereal at 2008-03-18 The house made from scrap wood, attached to the west fence, facing east. It gets sun in the morning and shaded by the fence in the afternoon. By joereal at 2008-03-18

03-18-2008, 10:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
mskitty38583 banana junkie mskitty38583 's Photo Gallery Location: north carolina Find me on the map! Zone: 7b Name: mskitty Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 4,071 BananaBucks : 189,121 Feedback: 26 / 100% Said "Thanks" 82 Times Was Thanked 890 Times in 617 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 136 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! i have seen more bees in the last 3 weeks then i did all last year. and there have been no psyco bees that i have seen either, like i did last year. maybe(cross your fingers) they will pull through and will re-establish their counts. i hope they do come back well the world w/o hunny( according to pooh bear) is not a good world. __________________ WELCOME TO THE GATOR NATION

03-18-2008, 11:13 PM	#3 (permalink)
CookieCows Member CookieCows's Photo Gallery Location: Kentucky Find me on the map! Zone: 6-7 Name: Deb Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,182 BananaBucks : 71,733 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,347 Times Was Thanked 696 Times in 393 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 159 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! Joe that bee house really looks interesting. I'd like to read more about what you're doing. Do you have a website handy? That looks easier than having an actual hive to have to take care of. Ric and I sit and toss around the ideal of having just one hive. It's just in the thinking stage right now. There are several people locally that could help us. I know it won't happen this year but if we continue to have a slow down on bees also it'll be an idea we take more seriously but first I want to check out this little bee house with cotten thing you have going on!! __________________

03-19-2008, 10:12 AM	#6 (permalink)
momoese Banana grower momoese's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Zone: zone 10 Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 7,589 BananaBucks : 12,159 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,747 Times Was Thanked 10,885 Times in 3,309 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 728 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! You're a brave one Joe! I have been attacked by those things and am now a bit paranoid every time one enters the garden. On the other hand we have a hive of honey bees living in the stucco wall that separates our neighbors yard from ours. The wall had a really big colony living there that was scaring my neighbor so she paid a bee man to come and remove them and seal up the crack in wall. Well I guess the crack reopened because another colony moved in and has been there for about a year now!

03-19-2008, 10:15 AM	#7 (permalink)
mskitty38583 banana junkie mskitty38583 's Photo Gallery Location: north carolina Find me on the map! Zone: 7b Name: mskitty Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 4,071 BananaBucks : 189,121 Feedback: 26 / 100% Said "Thanks" 82 Times Was Thanked 890 Times in 617 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 136 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! doe your neighbor not relize how beneficial bees are? if you want to keep them in your yard you can make a makeshift hive and half the colony will split and move in. i wanted to have a hive but with my dogs, that isnt a fesible idea now __________________ WELCOME TO THE GATOR NATION

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03-19-2008, 11:03 AM	#8 (permalink)
JoeReal Senior Member JoeReal's Photo Gallery Location: Davis, California USDA zone 9 Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,034 BananaBucks : 406,731 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 108 Times Was Thanked 474 Times in 228 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! Mason Bees are far less aggressive than Honey Bees. We know already that Honey bees are gentler than the Africanized Honey Bees. Mason bees don't swarm, and they don't form large colonies, just a tiny fraction of individuals when compared to bees. They live in tiny cavities and not in hives, and so are far fewer in numbers. Mason bees are native bees of America and were here before people came to the US. The Mason Bees should be encouraged. "*This Bee Is Gentle* The orchard mason bee is non-aggressive and will sting only if handled roughly or if it should get trapped under clothing. It is less objectionable than the honey bee as a pollinator in urban areas and should be encouraged. Efforts are being made experimentally to develop large populations of these bees to use as a supplement to honey bees for fruit pollination, much as the alfalfa leafcutting bee was developed for alfalfa seed pollination. Collecting Orchard Mason Bees If you wish to develop populations for pollinating a home or commercial orchard, you can set out trap nests to collect the bees. Trap nests can be made by drilling holes 1/4 to 3/8 inches in diameter and 3 to 6 inches deep in pine or fir 4x4's. A "brad-point bit" leaves a nice, smooth hole. Alfalfa leafcutting bee boards with hole diameters of at least 1/4 inch can also be used. Attach the boards to a house or other structure where you have seen the bees. Some protection from rain is desirable. You may also place boards on dead trees or posts in wooded areas near streams where there is a good supply of mud for nest construction and wild flowers on which to forage. Position boards where they will receive morning sunlight. Put the nests up in March before the bees begin nesting and remove them in early to mid-summer when nesting is completed. If the boards are stored outdoors over winter (under cover to protect them from rain and snow) the bees will usually emerge in March and April. They should forage for pollen during the period of cherry and apple bloom and afterwards, if sufficient other flowers are available to them. Here's more details: Orchard Mason Bees

03-19-2008, 11:06 AM	#9 (permalink)
mskitty38583 banana junkie mskitty38583 's Photo Gallery Location: north carolina Find me on the map! Zone: 7b Name: mskitty Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 4,071 BananaBucks : 189,121 Feedback: 26 / 100% Said "Thanks" 82 Times Was Thanked 890 Times in 617 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 136 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! will have to remember that. thanks for the info __________________ WELCOME TO THE GATOR NATION

03-19-2008, 01:17 PM	#10 (permalink)
momoese Banana grower momoese's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Zone: zone 10 Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 7,589 BananaBucks : 12,159 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,747 Times Was Thanked 10,885 Times in 3,309 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 728 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! I'm thinking they must have been Bumble bees because they were living inside the door of an old rusty car that had been stored for years in a spot that was never disturbed. They were very large, about the size of a nickel. My hive of Honey bees seem to be fairly tame. I have yet to have any issues with them, but I do stay away from the hive and if something disturbs them I go inside the house until they calm down.

03-21-2008, 02:21 PM	#11 (permalink)
Richard un-Retired Richard's Photo Gallery Location: Vista, CA Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 10b Name: Richard Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 9,674 BananaBucks : 506,961 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,636 Times Was Thanked 12,543 Times in 4,721 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,685 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! Last year a swarm of European honey bees settled into my flame grapes. When the automatic irrigation system came on the next day, they departed. Darn! However, I think they settled into a more private location in some nearby unattended yard. This spring the levels of bees seems to be "normal" -- although I do have lots of flowering herbs around to attract them. __________________ Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

03-22-2008, 11:00 AM	#12 (permalink)
Dean W. Dean W.'s Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Park, TX Zone: 8b Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4,279 BananaBucks : 234,370 Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Thanks" 6,325 Times Was Thanked 2,130 Times in 972 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 300 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! Way to go! I haven't seen homemade bee hive house. Dean __________________

03-22-2008, 01:36 PM	#13 (permalink)
Richard un-Retired Richard's Photo Gallery Location: Vista, CA Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 10b Name: Richard Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 9,674 BananaBucks : 506,961 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,636 Times Was Thanked 12,543 Times in 4,721 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,685 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! Check out the totally awesome tutorial at Mason Bee House Construction Read it from post #1 forward ... __________________ Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

03-23-2008, 04:18 PM	#15 (permalink)
D_&_T 3rd winter growing indoor D_&_T's Photo Gallery Location: Northern Indiana Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Dan Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 877 BananaBucks : 30,254 Feedback: 4 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,437 Times Was Thanked 260 Times in 169 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 342 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! Here is a site I found on Mason Bees. Knox Cellars Native Pollinators __________________

03-23-2008, 05:03 PM	#16 (permalink)
mskitty38583 banana junkie mskitty38583 's Photo Gallery Location: north carolina Find me on the map! Zone: 7b Name: mskitty Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 4,071 BananaBucks : 189,121 Feedback: 26 / 100% Said "Thanks" 82 Times Was Thanked 890 Times in 617 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 136 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! thanks! that was a great site. i bookmarked it for later usage. __________________ WELCOME TO THE GATOR NATION

03-23-2008, 10:23 PM	#17 (permalink)
D_&_T 3rd winter growing indoor D_&_T's Photo Gallery Location: Northern Indiana Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Dan Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 877 BananaBucks : 30,254 Feedback: 4 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,437 Times Was Thanked 260 Times in 169 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 342 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! So did I. Going to build few nests to try starting colony before ordering! __________________

03-23-2008, 10:40 PM	#18 (permalink)
Richard un-Retired Richard's Photo Gallery Location: Vista, CA Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 10b Name: Richard Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 9,674 BananaBucks : 506,961 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,636 Times Was Thanked 12,543 Times in 4,721 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,685 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! What about the destructive nature of mason bees? Is this minimized by providing a year-round food supply with blooming plants, or ? __________________ Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

03-23-2008, 10:44 PM	#19 (permalink)
D_&_T 3rd winter growing indoor D_&_T's Photo Gallery Location: Northern Indiana Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Dan Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 877 BananaBucks : 30,254 Feedback: 4 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,437 Times Was Thanked 260 Times in 169 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 342 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! From what I have read so far the adults are only around a couple of months, to full nest of pollen and eggs. __________________

03-24-2008, 07:29 AM	#20 (permalink)
mskitty38583 banana junkie mskitty38583 's Photo Gallery Location: north carolina Find me on the map! Zone: 7b Name: mskitty Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 4,071 BananaBucks : 189,121 Feedback: 26 / 100% Said "Thanks" 82 Times Was Thanked 890 Times in 617 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 136 Times	Re: Will Work For Food! Free housing too! i have hummer feeder, i dont care to keep it full year round for the little helpers. __________________ WELCOME TO THE GATOR NATION

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