LEWIS COUNTY BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION                                                          

Mason bees emerge earlier in the season than do honey bees, making them key pollinators for apple and other fruit trees.  Many beekeepers like to maintain both mason and honey bees. 

To learn more, click on the links below:  these pieces were written by Jim (Kimo) Thielges, one of LCBA's mason bee mentors.

To talk to a mason bee mentor, contact Kimo at kimosabe@compprime.com, or Ted Saari, KNT98632@q.com.

Mason Bee Information: 

For Kimo's comprehensive overview of "Mason Bees: The Super Pollinator Story," click here.  To download the "Mason Bee Condo" template, click here.  For shorter pieces topic by topic, scroll down:

Mason Bees - An Introduction

Benefits of Raising Mason Bees

Commercial Pollination with Mason Bees

Horn-Faced Mason Bees

Leafcutter Bees

Mason Bee Cocoons and Hive Cleaning Tips

Mason Bee Condo Template

Mason Bee Enemies

Mason Bee Food Sources

Mason Bee Fun Facts

Mason Bee Life Cycle

Mason Bee Maintenance

Trapping Mason Bees

Mason Bee Observation Units

Mason Bee Placement

Mason Bee Resources

Mason Bee Storage and Release

Mason Bee Straws

Mason Bee Websites

Mud Sources for Mason Bees

Nesting for Mason Bees

Osmia Bees

Summer Mason Bees

Above, "Mason Bee Face," by Benjamin Smith, via Wikimedia Commons  (CC BY 2.0).

Below, Mason bee nests:  the filled holes in these blocks contain eggs waiting to hatch the next spring.