MASON BEES.

A few of you have asked me to tell you about my bees. I will take you through the process as I deal with them but the following may interest those who are thinking of helping these lovely bees.

1. They do not sting, they are a passive bee.

2. You can buy units made of oak etc that can be leftout during the winter. If you buy the middle unit from The Oxford Bee Company, they must be kept in a cool shed during the autumn and winter months. The unit on the right was made by a friend using offcuts of wood and bamboo sticks.

3. The units when they go out in March must ALWAYS be put in a south facing sheltered position, this is important for the survival of the bees.

4. Mason bees only live for six weeks (approx). The male mates with the female and then spends the rest of his life basically having fun. Flying from flower to flower and resting in the sun. The female on the other hand spends her life laying her grubs in the tubes, she puts a supply of food for each bee and then seals the tube with mud. She is so exhausted at the end of her time that she becomes senile, and dies. A bit of a sad story and one to think about.

I will leave it at that for now, and continue when the bees go out.

If you have any questions just leave a comment and I will answer it there.

Hope its helpful.