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#11 | |
Fox
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wisconsin
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![]() If you are raising the mason bee population to abnormally high levels for the purpose of using the mason bees as the primary pollinator of an agricultural crop, then yes drilled wood holes are not the best way to go about it. These kinds of high populations have to be managed properly. Bee cocoons have to be removed from their nest holes each fall, cleaned of mites and parasites, and inspected for any disease. Once cleaned they need to be properly stored over the winter. For this kind of system I would recommend the trays or phragmites stems. Paper straws are often difficult to remove from nests without damaging them, and unraveling them to remove the cocoons is a tedious process. .
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. Age is a biological fact. Old is a state of mind. I will age, but I refuse to get old. |
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#12 |
WG Operations, Facilitator
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Northern Wisconsin
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My "wood blocks" would be made from chunks of tree deadfall from the forest I live in.
One of the members on our forum has a unique way of moving bees to new bee blocks. The blocks were placed on a level outdoor surface while the bees were still dormant. Cardboard boxes with tiny punched holes were placed over the bee blocks. The bees emerged from the bee blocks and flew through the holes in the cardboard box off into the wild blue yonder to their new bee blocks. I thought it was pretty clever. I'd post a link to the thread here, but I can't seem to find it. It had nice photos too. Anyway I'm not trying to become a beekeeper, just trying to make sure my bees have a nice place to call home. |
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#13 |
Curious George & UAOKA recipient
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
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Thanks for all the info NEWisc and 'Lib. I have many snags at various stages of decay, and know I am lucky to have the kind of property that I can safely leave these up. I have tons of leaf cutter bees, judging by the large circular holes in my buttonbush and spicebush (interestingly, they seem to favor these two, although I find their holes in other things as well). I have been creating brush piles for the past couple of years, and am contemplating making a sandy area for those that hate my clay (although my husband observes it will likely end up a cat box, which is likely true).
I am not trying to develop an abnormally high population of any one species, but to create an ecosystem favorable to all, so I'll continue with my "if I build it, they will come" approach and have a great excuse for having an untidy yard. ![]()
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There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, this is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar. - Lord Byron Turttle's pollinator garden |
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#14 |
Official Plant Nerd
Join Date: Dec 2008
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4B and turttle> Drill baby drill!!!
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"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss |
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#15 | |
WG Staff
Join Date: Nov 2008
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Alternative Pollinators: Native Bees
ATTRA Native Bees https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/sum...ary.php?pub=75 Digital Price: $4.95 Print Price $7.95 By Eric Mader, Mace Vaughan, Matthew Shepherd, Scott Hoffman Black Published 2010 Updated 2010 © NCAT IP126 28 pages Quote:
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The tendency of man's nature to good is like the tendency of water to flow downwards. -Mencius |
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#16 | |
WG Staff
Join Date: Nov 2008
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Wild Bees as Alternative Pollinators
Posted: September 27, 2011 Penn State Extension Wild Bees as Alternative Pollinators — Fruit Times — Penn State Extension excerpt from above: Quote:
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The tendency of man's nature to good is like the tendency of water to flow downwards. -Mencius |
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#17 | |
Fox
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wisconsin
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Some interesting info on sources of pollen for the eastern mason bee (Osmia lignaria lignaria):
Environmental Entomology 34(6):1593-1605. 2005 Flower Phenology and Pollen Choice of Osmia lignaria (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in Central Virginia Mark E. Kraemer and Françoise D. Favi Quote:
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. Age is a biological fact. Old is a state of mind. I will age, but I refuse to get old. |
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#18 | |
Great Horned Owl
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Northeastern MA
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So, the experiment failed in one respect but succeeded in another, especially as it is a hairy woodpecker that is the visitor, and all I usually get is the downy. In all respects it is a vast improvement over when the tree was alive. One more alien down memory lane...
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"Know thyself." Oracle at Delphi |
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#19 | |
Fox
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wisconsin
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Your plan may actually be working better than it appears. Native bees have adapted to predation by woodpeckers, etc., by laying the female eggs deepest within the hole. Then they fill the rest of the hole with male eggs. Unless the woodpecker is really thorough they will usually wind up leaving a male or two and the females that are deep into the hole. So you likely have benefited both the bees and the woodpeckers. .
__________________
. Age is a biological fact. Old is a state of mind. I will age, but I refuse to get old. |
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#20 |
A Bee's Best Friend
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Chicago Illinois USA
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Interesting the pollen sources are mostly trees and shrubs or vines. Which is why they are good orchard pollinators I guess. They are such early spring pollinators.
We have redbud all around in this neighborhood as well as our garden, we also have blackberries. Box elder was quite common until the city took down many of the old trees. It would be interesting to see what the pollen mix is for local bees. I wonder if the university of Il. has done anything similar. |
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