# Mason bees/leaf cutter bees and other Native pollinators



## bobp (Mar 4, 2014)

Do you have any experience with Mason Bees and other Native pollinators?

In order to maximize our efforts in the pollination department we put up 6 Mason bee / leaf cutter boxes. 

I went with am easy design that allows for reaming the hole through and through. 

The holes are drilled all the way through the block, and a back and roof cover are screwed to it. I can use a 5/16" dill bit to clean the holes out then hit it with a propane torch after. This should clean it right up.

We hung them facing SE, where they'll get partial shade in the afternoon. They'll weather until next spring then I hope we attract a few females?


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## WildPrGardens (Mar 8, 2014)

Why would you use a wood soaked in a poison to kill bugs that you hope will raise young to pollinate your own food?

Only honeybees carry viable pollen to the plants that can make use of it.

All other pollinators are random, just by chance do they go to the same kind of plant. They are only after food for their young.

If you want to help all polinators, take the poisons out of their environment, don't add to them. And increase the variety of food available for them long term.

Goodluck


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## Lady89 (Feb 22, 2014)

only thing i know is i am at war to keep them from eating my deck =P


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## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

bobp said:


> Do you have any experience with Mason Bees and other Native pollinators?
> 
> In order to maximize our efforts in the pollination department we put up 6 Mason bee / leaf cutter boxes.
> 
> ...


Cool beans :thumb: ... and I will be copying your design . FRom everything Iv read you can expect a huge increase in produce production over honey bees . If you do facebook, their are a ton of groups dedicated to Native pollinators .


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## bobp (Mar 4, 2014)

I don't understand the soaked on poison comment? I didn't use treated wood? 
And
Please read some facts before throwing random judgements around?


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## bobp (Mar 4, 2014)

JTM keep us posted on how it goes for you. Thanks for the feedback.


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## WildPrGardens (Mar 8, 2014)

I sorry, I didn't read in your post where you stated the wood you used.
I looked at the color picture.
The wood used has a greenish tint. It didn't look like stain or paint.
My bad.

What facts am I to read?

Unless you are raising alfalfa for seed and then need leaf-cutters to help, or wanting to have polination in a greenhouse and use bumblebees, the honeybee is far far superior.

Tens of thousands vs. a few hundred - no contest.

Then factor in the characteristics of their pollen gathering-almost exponential.

No other insect has the same impact to raising any crop that isn't wind pollinated.

No random judgements on my part. Just the facts sir.

What have I missed?


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## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

Well ... ya kind of missed the facts , but Im not knocking you , as I too am stuck in the 20th century on a lot of subjects 
Here's an important fact, and there are a bazillion studies to back it up : 1 mason bee does the work of as many as 100 honey bees.
Will you get honey from a mason be ? NOPE !!! but you won't get stung either  


http://www.permies.com/forums/f-56/mason-bees


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## bobp (Mar 4, 2014)

As stated to begin with we added the Mason Bees to maximize our pollination efforts. We added them to our farm which has honey bees as well. 
It was actually a simple effort, took 3-4 hours on a rainy day. And the wood was recycled from equipment pallets from work.
The facts on the effectiveness of some Native pollinators is clear. A simple Google search or trip to the library should clear this up. 

Once again its just part of a multi facited effort. There are many varieties of the Mason/leaf cutter Bees and they emerge at opourtune times band around 6 weeks building brood pocket nests and then die. During this period of building brood they pollinate lots of flowers. 

Bumblebees are another im chewing on adding?


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## bobp (Mar 4, 2014)

The Mason be specifically the Blue Orchard Bee is being used to pollinate commercial Appples, and Cherries as well as others in increasing #s. In fact according to USDA research 250-300 Blue Orchard Mason Bees are what it takes to pollinate an acre of Apples or Cherries. For the most part its a 100-1 ratio compared to Honey Bees. 
I'm not a proponent of replacing Honey Bees, but it was just too simple an effort to not add them to our regime. 

Look them up. It's not hype or propaganda. It's facts. And as stated above it really easy to encourage them. And then maintenance ought to be 10-15 minutes a year until the boxes rot.


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## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

I see lots of Mason bees early in the yr. By July I see very few so I understand your " multi faceted effort " The hover flies seem to stick around the longest and are very thick in my flower and strawberry beds right now . I want something like this , but I realize what a hassle it would be to keep clean .


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## WildPrGardens (Mar 8, 2014)

I'm all for encouraging native pollinators. 

I also recycle pallets. Even designed my own specialized tools to speed up the process and reduce breakage. 
At one time I worked at a pallet plant. I know some customers require the pallet to be treated with various chemicals to prolong life and allow longer use by the company, not just one way one time use. 
Often times the treatment didn't leave anything noticable.

I don't know why the picture shows a greenish tinted wood that hasn't been treated.

I can't believe I need to defend honeybees on a beekeeping forum.

I don't really. And the true TOTAL facts prove it.

I'm done and gone.


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## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

WildPrGardens said:


> I'm all for encouraging native pollinators.
> 
> I also recycle pallets. Even designed my own specialized tools to speed up the process and reduce breakage.
> At one time I worked at a pallet plant. I know some customers require the pallet to be treated with various chemicals to prolong life and allow longer use by the company, not just one way one time use.
> ...


Oh Dude/ett don't leave ,I think you misunderstood the conversation .No one was getting testy or being a ummmmmm donkey 

You can share your total facts with us , I'd be glad to listen


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## bobp (Mar 4, 2014)

I don't understand what happened here. I'm pro honeybees? I grew up with them, have them, and likley always will? AND im Pro not having all our eggs in one basket. Thus the native pollinators interest.

And the dark tint in the picture is a water mark from laying on another peice of wood outside. The blocks were made from a crate that equipment cam in at my work. The equipment routinely comes in in these custom single intended use crates. It's not treated. I'm not sure why the big issue was made over this? Who would use treated lumber for bee housing?


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## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

I sent him a pm but he's moved on I guess .


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## Lady89 (Feb 22, 2014)

Ehh let him go some people just feel the need to Bee testy ;p


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