Mason Bees at the Bulkhead
Mason Bees are a native pollinator to BC. Unlike honey bees they are solitary so they don’t live in hives and produce honey. To nest they seek out holes in wood where they can lay their eggs. Typically a Mason Bee would find holes produced by woodpeckers, but this form of habitat can be created to attract Mason Bees to certain areas for increased pollination.
Grow Workshop: August 13th, 2011
Please join Chloe Bennett, a student of Landscape Architecture at UBC for a lively discussion about mason bee habitat. Mason bees are small blue coloured bees that are important garden pollinators. They have specific needs for nesting and Chloe will be able to guide you in the proper methods of building a mason bee home. She will also share her experience in creating the Vancouver roundabout project Bees Please.
Homes for Bees
Chelsea Trousdell, one of our regular volunteers at the Lab brought some untreated fir to make homes for mason bees. If you aren’t familiar with mason bees, they are a dark metallic blue/green colour and resemble black flies. They are solitary insects that nest near each other but do not share a nest or hive. Females seek out holes in wood to use as a nest. Once the eggs are laid they will plug up the holes using mud, hence the name mason bee. These active pollinators are great for vegetable gardens and they are non-aggressive.
