My BFF Arminda just brought over a Bee House for my birthday!
I’m so thrilled!
Learning about Mason Bees:
Mason bees don’t produce honey, but do pollinate, especially fruit trees. According to Gardener’s Supply, each bee visits as many as 1000 blooms per day — 20 times as many as a honeybee, but less likely to sting.
In North America, they are blue-green and are smaller than honeybees — they kinda look like house flies.
The mason bee lay their eggs in small hollow spaces, like reeds, cracks in wood and even snail shells. Mason bees are gentle and hard working. The mason bee places a mud plug near the edge of the hole and then goes back and forth between flower and house to collect nectar and pollen for food for her young to eat. Once she’s done, the hole is completely plugged with more mud.
I’m so excited to watch what happens with my bee house and I accidentally hung it correctly – facing East!