Does anyone here encourage bees (mason bees) to live in your yards?
If so, why, and have you notice a difference between when bees weren't
hanging out locally, and when they were?

thanks,

Tom




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wrote in message
...
Does anyone here encourage bees (mason bees) to live in your yards?
If so, why, and have you notice a difference between when bees weren't
hanging out locally, and when they were?

I haven't paid much attention, but my fruit trees pollinated very well this
year so I have to assume some are in the area or some other species which
pollinate fruit trees. Have you had a problem with pollination this year?

On Sat, 8 May 2004 12:35:28 -0500, "RoyDMercer"
wrote:

wrote in message
.. .
Does anyone here encourage bees (mason bees) to live in your yards?
If so, why, and have you notice a difference between when bees weren't
hanging out locally, and when they were?

I haven't paid much attention, but my fruit trees pollinated very well this
year so I have to assume some are in the area or some other species which
pollinate fruit trees. Have you had a problem with pollination this year?


I have no fruit trees, but I have flowing trees, and flowers. I heard
that having regular polinating creatures around will give healther and
healther flowers.

How would you know find out about pollination problems, low fruit
yields?

thx,

tom


************************************************** *
http://www.Intertainia.com
************************************************** *

wrote in message
...
On Sat, 8 May 2004 12:35:28 -0500, "RoyDMercer"
wrote:

wrote in message
.. .
Does anyone here encourage bees (mason bees) to live in your yards?
If so, why, and have you notice a difference between when bees weren't
hanging out locally, and when they were?

I haven't paid much attention, but my fruit trees pollinated very well
this
year so I have to assume some are in the area or some other species which
pollinate fruit trees. Have you had a problem with pollination this
year?


I have no fruit trees, but I have flowing trees, and flowers. I heard
that having regular polinating creatures around will give healther and
healther flowers.

I don't see how bees would help with that. Pollinization happens AFTER the
plant has produced flowers. Many repeat blooming plants that fail to
pollinate will produce more flowers as a natural reaction to increase its
chances to reproduce. If a plant successfully pollinates, it will devote
more of its energy to the rest of the reproduction cycle and less to
producing more blooms. This is part of the reason why it's a common
practice to deadhead old blooms. When you deadhead old blooms, you
frustrate the plant's attempt to reproduce and invoke a natural reaction to
produce more blooms.

So actually the reverse is true in the instance of most repeat bloomers. If
the plant doesn't pollinate, it will be more likely to produce more blooms.

Usually when people are concerned about mason bees, they are trying to get
fruits trees to produce so I assumed that's what you were after. Personally
I just like to see them around for no other reasons than they are fun to
watch, docile, and they drive my wife crazy. We used to raise honey bees
when I was a kid.


How would you know find out about pollination problems, low fruit
yields?

You might be able to find out from the coop extension office for your
county.

On Sun, 9 May 2004 03:17:10 -0500, "RoyDMercer"
wrote:

wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 8 May 2004 12:35:28 -0500, "RoyDMercer"
wrote:

wrote in message
.. .
Does anyone here encourage bees (mason bees) to live in your yards?
If so, why, and have you notice a difference between when bees weren't
hanging out locally, and when they were?

I haven't paid much attention, but my fruit trees pollinated very well
this
year so I have to assume some are in the area or some other species which
pollinate fruit trees. Have you had a problem with pollination this
year?


I have no fruit trees, but I have flowing trees, and flowers. I heard
that having regular polinating creatures around will give healther and
healther flowers.

I don't see how bees would help with that. Pollinization happens AFTER the
plant has produced flowers. Many repeat blooming plants that fail to
pollinate will produce more flowers as a natural reaction to increase its
chances to reproduce. If a plant successfully pollinates, it will devote
more of its energy to the rest of the reproduction cycle and less to
producing more blooms. This is part of the reason why it's a common
practice to deadhead old blooms. When you deadhead old blooms, you
frustrate the plant's attempt to reproduce and invoke a natural reaction to
produce more blooms.

So actually the reverse is true in the instance of most repeat bloomers. If
the plant doesn't pollinate, it will be more likely to produce more blooms.

Usually when people are concerned about mason bees, they are trying to get
fruits trees to produce so I assumed that's what you were after. Personally
I just like to see them around for no other reasons than they are fun to
watch, docile, and they drive my wife crazy. We used to raise honey bees
when I was a kid.


How would you know find out about pollination problems, low fruit
yields?

You might be able to find out from the coop extension office for your
county.



I too heard that bees were good to keep you flowers happy and
blooming, and mason bees being so docile, they were cool for even kids
to watch.

Once someone said by also introducing doctile bees into an area, yhou
will help to displace unwanted insects like wasps, bumble bees. But
I'm guessing this is made up.

Thanks for your reply,

tom



************************************************** *
http://www.Intertainia.com
************************************************** *

wrote in message
...
On Sun, 9 May 2004 03:17:10 -0500, "RoyDMercer"

I too heard that bees were good to keep you flowers happy and
blooming, and mason bees being so docile, they were cool for even kids
to watch.

Once someone said by also introducing doctile bees into an area, yhou
will help to displace unwanted insects like wasps, bumble bees. But
I'm guessing this is made up.

Most wasps eat other insects (including bees). You can attract mason bees
by taking a piece of 2x4 and drilling several 3/16" holes into the wood
(deeply but not all the way through). Nail the 2x4 vertically to a fence or
building. This is how commercial orchards attract them. I have some hedges
in the front of my house that will be blooming in a week or two. The mason
bees love them and they will be all over them during this time. I forgo
keeping my hedges trimmed during this time so they bloom well. The bees
make my wife go apey and it's fun to watch her as much as the bees. I was
raised around bees so they don't bother me in the least.

On Sun, 09 May 2004 11:30:22 -0500, RoyDMercer wrote:

wrote in message
...
On Sun, 9 May 2004 03:17:10 -0500, "RoyDMercer"

I too heard that bees were good to keep you flowers happy and blooming,
and mason bees being so docile, they were cool for even kids to watch.

Once someone said by also introducing doctile bees into an area, yhou
will help to displace unwanted insects like wasps, bumble bees. But
I'm guessing this is made up.

Most wasps eat other insects (including bees). You can attract mason bees
by taking a piece of 2x4 and drilling several 3/16" holes into the wood
(deeply but not all the way through). Nail the 2x4 vertically to a fence
or building. This is how commercial orchards attract them. I have some
hedges in the front of my house that will be blooming in a week or two.
The mason bees love them and they will be all over them during this time.
I forgo keeping my hedges trimmed during this time so they bloom well.
The bees make my wife go apey and it's fun to watch her as much as the
bees. I was raised around bees so they don't bother me in the least.

I would suggest that you use a 4X4 or even a 6X6 piece of NoN-treated
wood. Pine, fir or cedar is best. I would also suggest that you drill
serveral holes of different sizes from 9/32 to 5/16 in size about a 1/2
inch to 3/4 inch apart. The term "mason bee" is a catch all for a range of
solitary bees that live around you. These bees will be of differing sizes
and with the varied hole sizes you'll get a broader collection of bees.
The different bees will emerge at different times and will give you a bit
of a longer season to enjoy your bees. With a few blocks, you'll soon see
which hole sizes are best for your area and that will direct you in the
furture when making new blocks. I was told to scorch the block's front to
make the block more atractive to the bees. This may or maynot be true.
Both my blocks filled up. Here's a good link:
http://www.pollinatorparadise.com/So...s/SOLITARY.HTM

"Timothy" wrote in message
s.com...

I would suggest that you use a 4X4 or even a 6X6 piece of NoN-treated
wood. Pine, fir or cedar is best. I would also suggest that you drill
serveral holes of different sizes from 9/32 to 5/16 in size about a 1/2
inch to 3/4 inch apart. The term "mason bee" is a catch all for a range of
solitary bees that live around you. These bees will be of differing sizes
and with the varied hole sizes you'll get a broader collection of bees.
The different bees will emerge at different times and will give you a bit
of a longer season to enjoy your bees. With a few blocks, you'll soon see
which hole sizes are best for your area and that will direct you in the
furture when making new blocks. I was told to scorch the block's front to
make the block more atractive to the bees. This may or maynot be true.
Both my blocks filled up. Here's a good link:
http://www.pollinatorparadise.com/So...s/SOLITARY.HTM

I found an excellent example on this web page:
http://www.birdcrossstitch.com/garden/Journal.html