Mason Bees

You might have noticed black storage totes scattered around the property and wonder what they are for, they are homes to Mason Bees.  These bees are a solitary creature that usually makes a home in an existing vacant hole.  We have been working with a local company, Crown Bees to get this project up and running. 



 

The benefit to the golf course is minimal, but the benefit to agriculture across Washington is the goal.  The State of Washington has 1.5 million acres of land used for farming, nearly one billion (yes with a B!) bees are needed to pollinate various crops. 

Our contribution in this project is providing Crown Bees with habitat and space to replenish their stockpile of bees, helping farmers across Washington produce fruit, vegetables, and other food items that might end up on your table.  Issues plaguing honey bees are well documented, varroa mites, American foul brood, and colony collapse disorder.  Mason Bees could be used to help secure the future of our food supply.

Over 100,000 cocoons were placed around the property, this generation of cocoons could produce up to one million bees available for next years crop.
Mason Bees get their name for the habitat they create, filling their compartments with mud to shelter eggs they lay each Spring.  Research has shown one (1) Mason Bee is able to do the work of 100 Honey Bees in terms of how many plants it will pollinate.

After emerging from their cocoon in the Spring they began gathering pollen,  by traveling flower to flower which is stored in a hole, they find suitable, before laying an egg.  One female will lay eggs in as many as four holes per box.  A wall of mud is placed between each egg (that will grow into a cocoon) placed between each egg, a female will lay roughly 25 eggs each Spring.

 

Aside from their looks, there are many differences between Mason and Honey bees.  Unlike honey bees, Mason Bees are a solitary species which produce no honey or bees wax.  There are over 150 species of Mason bees native to the North America, while Honey bees only have only 9 different species and are a native species of Europe.  The fur of a Mason bee has is not sticky, like that of a honey bee, so more pollen is exchanged as it travels flower to flower.

I took this picture late in the afternoon, her face covered in Pollen after a long day of pollinating.  Males have an all black face and females have a white patch of fur on their face.

Get close and look around the boxes if you are so inclined.  They do not cause anaphylactic shock if you are stung and the chance of being stung is extremely low. 

You might even have one crawl across your hand after hatch.  Watching mother nature at this level is extraordinary, you'll think twice before squashing a pollinator.  For more information check out Crown Bees Website.   

Unfortunately we learned that the Bears are also interested in the Mason bees.  Last weekend a bear took a swipe at a few boxes located on 11 and 12.  You can see the detail of the Mason Bee providing a habit for the larvae to survive.  (Mother Nature is so cool!)  There is hope some larvae can be saved, the people at Crown Bees are looking for trays that are salvageable.

Cocoons will spend the Winter under refrigeration Crown Bees.  Once the eggs mature they will be harvested, stored over winter, and prepped to begin their work next Spring.

P.S.

We have honey bees too!  Two hives have been placed on property in hopes to produce honey that will be available in the Clubhouse this Fall.