Comments on: Winter Meeting Focuses on Native Bees and Fruit

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:16:48 +0000

I’ve been thinking a lot about bees lately. Hope to start beekeeping this spring. Yesterday I relocated a digging bee who was trying to burrow into one of my seed starting trays.

By: Interesting Apple Facts from the Fruit Expert » Veggie Gardening Tips

Interesting Apple Facts from the Fruit Expert » Veggie Gardening Tips — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:02:12 +0000

[...] « Winter Meeting Focuses on Native Bees and Fruit [...]

By: Tee Riddle

Tee Riddle — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:40:42 +0000

Incredible pollinator facts, Kenny! I never thought there were so many different types of bees. Like you stated in one of the above comments, when I see a bee I just think “Oh, it’s a bee”. I, too, look forward to investigating the native bees in my area a lot closer this year. I can’t wait to snap some photos of a few and find out what they are.

Thanks for sharing what you learned at the Backyard Fruit Grower’s Winter meeting.

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:19:37 +0000

Hi Barbee, I have been sheltering solitary bees for the past couple of years, they are very interesting and I planning an article on them before spring arrives. I have used the cardboard tubes that you referred to in the past and simply took a five gallon plastic bucket, built a shelf inside and attached it parallel on the side of a tree or building structure.

This year I’m upgrading their living quarters and a member of the Backyard Fruit Growers Group is building a fancier house for my bees that will use a Binderboard type nesting system that allows you to access the bee cocoons to check for things like parasites and allows you to care for them a little better. You can find more information including bees and supplies over at Pollinator Paradise. Solitary bees are cool and not aggressive even if you are right at their nesting site… you’d really have to go out of your way to get stung by one of these lovable bees!

By: Barbee

Barbee — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:00:43 +0000

I am very lucky to have a good friend and neighbor (Gary) who keeps honey bees in his backyard. They are extremely reliable about visiting my garden each and every day…like today. We are having a well deserved warm period and I was outside weeding my raised beds when 3 of those little darlings came over to me to see if I was something tasty.

It seems that because I was wearing bright colorful clothing and gloves, I had inadvertantly attracted their attention. I held very still and they moved on within only a few moments with no harm to any of us. It was actually kinda’ sweet sitting there with the three of them snuffling and lighting upon my person-like little faries.

I have read that you can buy or build ‘homes’ for the SOLITARY bees out of thin tubes (like drinking straws) and I plan on doing that this Summer. I have seen them in my garden burrowing in the lawn (it concerns me that I may be injuring them w/ the mower) so looks like I need to set up some apartment buildings to keep them safe. (BIG SMILE!)

Has anyone else here had any experience with the ‘homes’ I am referring to? If so, I am sure I’d like to hear more. Thanks!

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:56:34 +0000

Hey Susy, it all makes a lot of sense… how could native pollinators not be irresistibly attracted to a garden loaded with a diversity of blooming plants. And who could better detect or be as easily impacted by subtle changes in a flower, a plant breeder in a lab or a bee buzzing around the garden?

It is fascinating and I’ll be paying a lot closer attention to my native pollinators. It’s too easy to fall into the trap of “oh, it’s just a bee” and never realize that the insect you’re looking at is a solitary squash bee or other unique native pollinator that is depending on you to provide a safe habitat in exchange for the vital role that it will fill in your landscape!

By: Chiot's Run

Chiot's Run — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:09:40 +0000

It all makes sense doesn’t it. I noticed that as I add more and more diversity to my gardens and the longer it has been since I’ve used any chemicals (fertilizer or pesticide) in the garden the more pollinators I notice. This past year I noticed a huge number of native pollinators in my gardens, so many different sizes, colors and shapes. It’s very fascinating.

Atrracting native pollinators is one of the reasons I let a few “weeds” grow in my garden, like queen anne’s lace and other native plants.