My fruit trees bring all the bees to the yard.

Blue Orchard Mason bees (Osmia lignaria) are solitary bees, meaning they do not live in a hive with other bees but create their own individual homes to lay their eggs.

In the garden, they use pre-existing structures to make their winter nests.

Plants like Douglas Aster (Symphyotrichum subspicatu) with their hollow stems, work perfectly as natural structures to keep in your garden during the hibernation months.

This is another great reason to leave your garden unkempt until the warmth of spring.

Come spring, these early risers will help pollinate your fruit trees, berries and flowers making them beneficial in creating biodiverse spring blooming gardens and orchards.

Mason bee homes are a great habitat feature for your garden to help provide a space for the mason bee to lay her eggs and create easy access to your spring blooming plants as their range is a radius of around 100m.

A mason of sorts, the blue orchard bee creates sections (or brood cells) within the hollow structures of the home using mud. She collects pollen & places it in the nesting cavity with the egg. The bee will section off areas for her eggs with more mud and will continue this process until the whole structure is full. A female bee will lay between 15-20 eggs in her lifespan of 6 weeks.

FUN FACT

The first eggs that the orchard bee lays will develop into female bees, while the ones closer to the entrance of the nest will become males.

It is said to be(e) that they do this for a couple of reasons.

First is reproduction. Males emerge first so they can wait for the females who will typically begin hatching up to 3 days later. By laying the male eggs closer to the entrance, it gives them the advantage they need for reproductive success.

The second hypothesis is nest predation. Females are of higher value in regards to the reproduction of the species compared to males. By laying male eggs at the front of the nesting cavity, they act as a sacrificial barrier, increasing the survival rate of the species.

We are so excited to bee able to offer annual mason bee subscriptions!

The goal of this project is to provide more habitat for pollinators and to raise awareness on the importance of them, the role they play in their environment and how we can not only protect them, but help them thrive.

Each spring we install handmade bee homes & release mason bees to effectively pollinate your fruit trees, berries & flowers.

It only takes a few females to pollinate one mature apple tree!

In the fall we collect, clean and carefully store the house & bees for the winter.

It’s so important to clean your bee homes!

By cleaning & storing each fall, you mitigate the spread of disease and parasites. Rest assured your bees are healthy, taken care of and released at the right time for maximum fruit pollination.

This annual subscription is great for bigger orchards, small backyard conservationists and curious families alike looking to better the environment and create a more diverse landscape.

Mason bees are active in early spring making them an asset in their aid of fruit trees pollination & production. Some beneficial trees & shrubs include cherry, pear, apple, plum, blueberry & almond.

It's important to plant a diversified landscape so pollinators have a reliable food source. Pollinators love native plants! Don't forget to add plants like Oregon Grape (Mahonia nervosa) and these other beneficial plants to your garden space: Camas, Nodding Onion, Red flowering currant, Mock Orange & so much more.

If you would like a more in depth plant list or more info on the mason bee subscription, please reach out!