Blue Orchard Mason Bees
We found this native bee 🐝 house at costco and have already had a blue orchard mason bee visit and start getting it ready for her eggs. . Blue Orchard Mason Bees are pretty amazing! 🐝 They are from the genus Osmia 🐝 They are solitary bees, so each female is a queen and lays eggs on their own. However they do like to be by each other and will lay eggs close together. 🐝 They are not aggressive. 🐝 They are non-stinging. The males don’t have a stinger and the females use their stinger to guide them to lay eggs. They are also so busy collecting pollen/nectar and laying eggs that they will only sting if they are about to die. 🐝 They pollinate 80% better than honey bees. Here is more what I have learned: In the spring after they have mated and get some food the females will look for a place to lay their eggs. They cannot drill holes, so they find natural holes such as holes made from other insects or like in our bee house. She picks somewhere safe, protected, a