I’ve mentioned mason bees here on the blog many times over the years. We love them! We’ve raised spring mason bees, as well as summer leafcutter bees. They are both such adorable little bees, and we get so excited every time we spot one in the garden. (I asked a friend if it was weird that I want to hold and cuddle them every time I see one!) 🙂

They are also amazing pollinators! I will write more about that in a bit, but I will say that we notice an increase in productivity in our garden when we grow more food for pollinators, and introduce more native bees in our yard.

We were delighted when we first learned about raising these bees in our yard, and since that time I have seen the awareness about these little bees grow like crazy- it seems the houses for them are now for sale at every garden center I visit, which is wonderful.

The bee house pictured above is a really simple one we had up in our yard years back. (I love seeing all the tubes the mason bees filled up!) Since that time, we started putting a cover over the top of the bee house for better protection from the weather, but the wood overhang we had it under did a good job of that as well.

Though I’ve written about mason bees here quite a few times before, I felt inspired to share about them again today because I want everyone to know about them!

It’s currently April, and lately we have been checking the mason bee house each day and delighting every time a new tube has been packed with clay. (That’s why they are called mason bees.) Each spring we provide a house for them with tubes to nest in, put moist clay out for them, and then set the cocoons on top of the tubes for them to hatch out. This has become a joyful part of spring for us, and feels like a spring blessing on the garden each year.

I didn’t intend to write today’s post as a guide on raising spring mason bees, but simply wanted to plant the seed of inspiration (or give the reminder if you already know about these amazing bees) and provide some great resources to get you started!

This year, when we went to get our mason bees from Down To Earth, we picked up this Native Bee Guide by Crown Bees. (We’re grateful they sell mason bees, and so many other great things. If you live in the Eugene, Oregon area- Down To Earth is one of our very favorite stores. From gardening and beekeeping supplies, to everything you need to get started fermenting in your kitchen- it’s such a great place, and full of inspiration!)

Back to the Native Bee Guide. When we were first learning about mason bees and leafcutter bees, we discovered Crown Bees online and it was a great source of information! I was so glad when I saw they had this booklet available. It’s a good resource to have on hand, and to be able to refer back to anytime you need to. The guide introduces you to the world of gentle solitary bees- Spring Mason Bees, Summer Leafcutter Bees, and Wild Hole-Nesting Bees. Here are a few quotes from the beginning:

“Did you know that about 90% of the world’s bee species are solitary bees who live on their own?”

“Without a hive to defend or feed, solitary bees are not aggressive and don’t make honey.”

“These hole-nesting bees are gentle, easy to raise and you don’t need protective gear to take care of them.”

“Mason and leafcutter bees are hole-nesting pollination super-giants who help North American orchards, gardens, and farms grow 2-3 times more food. They are 100 times more effective pollinators than the well-known honey bee due to how they carry pollen loose & dry on their hairy bellies.”

“Traditionally, we’ve viewed the honey bee as the sole agricultural pollinator, but more evidence is highlighting the role native bees have played all along. A powerful solution to increasing food production is to improve bee diversity. A study by Dr. Lucas Giribaldi showed that a diversity of bee species on a crop can increase yield by an amazing 24%.

We can improve bee diversity by raising a variety of bee species and supporting native wild bees with flowering cover, untilled ground, and nesting habitats. Bees native to your bio-region are best suited to bring more food to the table.”

At the end, they say: “We advocate for bee diversity in our gardens and farmlands because our ultimate goal is to help grow more food for more people.”

I highly recommend this guide if you are interested in raising these bees in your yard!