We noticed the mason bees roost (is that the right term?) In the holes they’re slowly filling and I got some blurry footage last night. Cute!

#masonbees

It's the most ... wonderful time ... of the year.

Mining bee, Andrena sp. on yellow https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/159728346

Micro miner bee, Micrandrena sp. (tentative ID) on a mantle of white https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/159728166

Cacoxenus indagator, a kleptoparasitic fly of mason bees (genus Osmia) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/159728674

Large Red Damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula, basking on the sun, attentive to snatch its next lunch out of the air https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/159726653

#iNaturalist #Hymenoptera #nativebees #entomology #insects #MacroPhotography #MasonBees #Kleptoparasites #Odonata #Damselflies

I'm a proud bee daddy! A bit late cleaning my bee tubes I know... but got 53 cocoons out of them. #masonbees #bees

Time to harvest the little bee cocoons! It was such a cold spring I was worried they didn’t do well but boy they loved the reeds. Look at this one magnificent reed tube with 13 perfect 🐝cocoons! #masonbees #bees

Our newest partner for Arkearth is Rent Mason Bees! Mason Bees are solitary bees that are incredibly efficient at pollination. One Mason Bee can pollinate over 2,000 flowers a day making them perfect for urban farms and community gardens. Each hive box has around 40 bees - enough for several acres. While they don't produce honey, they rarely sting and are great to have in public areas. If you want to order a set for yourself, use code ARKEARTH23 for a discount. We'll be using Rent Mason Bees as part of our Pollination Accelerator program. #masonbees #leafcutterbee #pollinators https://rentmasonbees.com

Is your backyard bee hotel up to code? A poorly made one can hurt wild bees more than it helps!

@colinpurrington has written some great resources on what's wrong with many commercially available solitary bee houses/hotels; how to make and maintain your own; and places to buy properly designed bee hotels. These posts have been in my bookmarks for years.

- https://colinpurrington.com/2019/05/horrors-of-mass-produced-bee-houses/
- https://colinpurrington.com/2019/05/guide-to-diy-mason-bee-houses/
- https://colinpurrington.com/2019/05/where-to-buy-mason-bee-houses/

#bees #MasonBees #DIY

Photo of our #MasonBees emerging. We have about 20 this year, from the 10 last year. They will be active for a few weeks and are totally harmless.