33:
51:
269:
300:
are as important as having the proper mud available (silty/clayey, as well as correct moisture content to grab/pack the mud). A female might inspect several potential nests before settling in. Once she has found a preferred nesting cavity, she flies outside of the hole and does an in-flight dance. She is orienting on major visual features to find her nest when she returns from foraging.
308:, which visit flowers that are miles away, females visit flowers nearest the nest. One bee can visit 75 flowers per trip, and it takes 25 trips to create a complete pollen/nectar provision. The female works tirelessly during the day, only stopping once the sun has gone down. When the sun rises the next morning, she basks in its rays until warm enough to fly, then continues foraging.
288:
280:
251:, orchards are not always able to establish a self sustaining population and often require importation of additional bees; on this research is continuing. In general, it is recommended that propagation and subsequent transport be confined to the bee's natural boundaries; commercial enterprise does not always respect these boundaries.
353:
inside its cocoon for the duration of the winter. To stay warm, it burns through its fat reserves. If the weather stays cold for too long, the bee can die of starvation. Alternatively, if the temperature rises too fast, emergence may occur prematurely when pollen is scarce or the weather can return
316:
bees, like many insects, can select the gender of the egg they lay by fertilizing the egg, or not. Unfertilized eggs are males, while fertilized eggs are females. The adult bee lays female eggs in the back of the burrow, and the male eggs towards the front. On average, she lays about three males and
264:
The bees begin to emerge from their cocoons in the spring when the daytime temperature reaches 14 °C (57 °F). The males emerge first. They remain near the nesting site and wait for the females to emerge, which can be several days to weeks depending on the number of days of warm weather.
299:
females nest in narrow holes or tubes, though they have been found to nest inside cedar shakes and even keyholes. Beekeepers place prepared nesting materials to entice the females to stay close to the orchard or nearby forage. Good nesting material (reeds, paper tubes, wood trays, or "bee condos")
311:
Once the pollen provision is large enough, she backs into the hole and lays an egg directly upon it. She then collects more mud to seal off the partition. The new wall also doubles as the back wall of the next cell, and she continues until she has filled the nest hole with a series of offspring.
328:
female lives for about four to eight weeks, and can fill an average of four six-inch tubes in her lifetime, with about eight eggs per tube. Her work includes nearly 60,000 blossom visits, and has attracted growers to propagate the insect for pollination purposes in fruit orchards.
230:(eastern subspecies). The majority of research has been conducted in western orchards on the western subspecies. Efforts at establishing them outside their native range have met with mixed results. Researchers in one eastern study (Virginia / North Carolina) using the eastern
303:
Orchard mason bees arrange their nests as a series of partitions, with one egg per partition. A female begins the process by collecting mud and building the back wall, if necessary, of the first partition. She then makes several back-and-forth trips to nearby flowers. Unlike
366:, are very shy and only sting if they perceive serious danger. They do not attack to defend themselves. The stinger is actually an egg guide. Because of their docile behavior, mason bees are preferred by people who desire pollination in urban settings.
246:
industry, where bloom time is early, the bee is raised under artificial conditions that trick it into emerging several weeks early, coincident with the almond bloom. While in much of the northwest conditions make it is easy to propagate
323:
Once the female has finished the nest, she plugs the entrance with a mud wall, thicker than the partitions that precede it. She then seeks another location for a new nest. She works tirelessly until she dies. An
265:
The first thing the females do is mate. A female typically mates once, or maybe twice. She is absent from the nesting site for several days while she feeds and waits for her ovaries to fully mature.
320:
When the egg hatches, the larva consumes the food provision and goes through many changes before becoming an adult. It will spend most of its life alone in this dark cell made by its mother.
317:
one to two females per cavity. Because females are larger than males and require more pollen reserves, cavity dimensions can play a significant role in the cavity selection process.
411:
Several parasitic wasps attack mason bees by piercing the larva in the nest and inserting eggs into the body; the wasp larvae consume the bee larva/pupa. This includes several
669:
Majka, Christopher G.; Philips, T. Keith; Sheffield, Cory (2007). "Ptinus
Sexpunctatus Panzer (Coleoptera: Anobiidae, Ptininae) Newly Recorded in North America".
941:
32:
1015:
1010:
793:
354:
to cold temperatures for too long. Farmers are known to exploit the emergence cycle and time their release to coincide with the first orchard blossoms.
889:
915:
1000:
747:
728:
709:
632:
1020:
1025:
763:
604:
191:
that makes nests in natural holes and reeds, creating individual cells for its brood that are separated by mud dividers. Unlike
920:
508:
222:
is among 4000 native bee species of North
America, and its species is divided by the Rocky Mountains into two subspecies,
837:
337:
By early summer, a larva has consumed all of its provisions and begins spinning a cocoon around itself and enters the
1005:
946:
376:
682:
50:
242:
and the Gulf Coast because of the lack of cold winter temperatures needed in its development cycle. In the
805:
208:
423:
842:
789:
507:
Black, Scott
Hoffman; Shepherd, Matthew; Vaughan, Mace; LaBar, Caitlin; Hodges, Nathan (November 2009),
145:
876:
783:
649:
586:
470:, the six-spotted spider beetle, which feeds on other dead or decaying insects. It was discovered in
392:
466:
933:
569:
461:
larva, but these wasps develop next to the juvenile bee and consumes the larva from the outside.
45:
967:
863:
743:
724:
705:
628:
561:
429:
972:
678:
551:
954:
995:
417:
989:
540:
lignaria lignaria(Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in
Virginia and North Carolina Orchards"
471:
192:
868:
573:
412:
185:
112:
268:
516:, Portland, OR / Sacramento, CA: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
374:
Mason bees host a number of different parasites. The kleptoparasitic pollen mite
928:
902:
454:
102:
828:
363:
305:
161:
487:
122:
82:
62:
773:
565:
959:
510:
Yolo
Natural Heritage Program (HCP/NCCP): Pollinator Conservation Strategy
850:
822:
599:
597:
595:
350:
855:
287:
894:
239:
907:
279:
386:
243:
235:
92:
72:
799:
556:
535:
380:
is found especially in wetter parts of its range; it can starve the
390:, are also kleptoparasites, with the larvae feeding on the pollen.
341:
stage; the adult, flying mother dies off as the season progresses.
740:
Trap-nesting Wasps and Bees: Life
Histories, Nests, and Associates
587:
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/Creatures/MISC/BEES/blue_orchard_bee.htm
384:
larvae by consuming the larval pollen mass. Sapygid wasps, genus
286:
278:
267:
200:
881:
338:
203:
bloom in the United States and Canada, though a number of other
803:
188:
778:
349:
The young bee is now a fully developed insect and undergoes
683:
10.3157/0013-872X(2007)118[73:PSPCAP]2.0.CO;2
474:
in 2004, where it was accidentally introduced alongside
295:
When a female is ready, she seeks out a suitable nest.
534:
Kraemer, M. E.; Favi, F. D.; Niedziela, C. E. (2014).
457:, relatively large and metallic green, also consume
238:
over the orchard fruits. They do not overwinter in
812:
396:is a cuckoo bee that sometimes invades nests. Both
449:is more likely to parasitize other later emerging
40:Blue orchard bee, Multnomah County, Oregon, 2021
8:
774:The New Mexico Native Bee Pollinator Project
800:
478:species used for research as pollinators.
464:The cavity nest of the mason bee can host
199:is a common species used for early spring
31:
20:
723:(2nd ed.). Knox Cellars Publishing.
555:
404:larvae spin a cocoon and develop in the
700:Bosch, Jordi; Kemp, William P. (2001).
499:
779:"How to raise Mason Bees" and Resource
7:
589:Featured Creatures: Blue Orchard Bee
704:. Sustainable Agriculture Network.
427:, and the largish yellow and black
283:Orchard mason bee on an apple bloom
1016:Fauna of the Western United States
1011:Fauna of the Eastern United States
702:How to Manage the Blue Orchard Bee
606:How to Manage the Blue Orchard Bee
536:"Nesting and Pollen Preference of
291:Example of nesting-site variations
14:
742:. Smithsonian Institution Press.
195:, it cannot drill holes in wood.
234:found them to prefer the native
207:species are cultured for use in
49:
768:Gardening in Western Washington
1:
362:Orchard mason bees, like all
1001:Hymenoptera of North America
650:"Ptinus sexpunctatus Panzer"
623:Dogterom, Margeriet (2002).
796:Featured Creatures website.
625:Pollination with Mason Bees
1042:
738:Krombein, Karl V. (1967).
1021:Insects described in 1837
437:can be a serious pest of
226:(western subspecies) and
151:
144:
46:Scientific classification
44:
39:
30:
23:
1026:Taxa named by Thomas Say
544:Environmental Entomology
377:Chaetodactylus krombeini
176:, commonly known as the
719:Griffin, Brian (1999).
292:
284:
276:
721:The Orchard Mason Bee
453:. Several species of
290:
282:
272:"Bee house" used for
271:
627:. Beediverse Books.
467:Ptinus sexpunctatus
445:is less common and
424:Melittobia chalybii
415:— tiny (2mm - 4mm)
764:Orchard Mason Bees
671:Entomological News
648:Majka, C. (2004).
293:
285:
277:
1006:Insects of Canada
983:
982:
968:Open Tree of Life
806:Taxon identifiers
749:978-0-87474-033-2
730:978-0-9635841-2-0
711:978-1-888626-06-3
634:978-0-9689357-0-5
430:Leucospis affinis
178:orchard mason bee
169:
168:
1033:
976:
975:
963:
962:
950:
949:
937:
936:
924:
923:
911:
910:
898:
897:
885:
884:
872:
871:
859:
858:
846:
845:
833:
832:
831:
801:
753:
734:
715:
687:
686:
666:
660:
659:
657:
656:
645:
639:
638:
620:
614:
613:
611:
601:
590:
584:
578:
577:
559:
531:
525:
524:
523:
521:
515:
504:
413:chalcidoid wasps
182:blue orchard bee
157:
137:O. lignaria
54:
53:
35:
21:
1041:
1040:
1036:
1035:
1034:
1032:
1031:
1030:
986:
985:
984:
979:
971:
966:
958:
955:Observation.org
953:
945:
940:
932:
927:
919:
914:
906:
901:
893:
888:
880:
875:
867:
862:
854:
849:
841:
836:
827:
826:
821:
808:
760:
758:External links
750:
737:
731:
718:
712:
699:
696:
694:Further reading
691:
690:
668:
667:
663:
654:
652:
647:
646:
642:
635:
622:
621:
617:
609:
603:
602:
593:
585:
581:
557:10.1603/EN13219
533:
532:
528:
519:
517:
513:
506:
505:
501:
496:
484:
372:
360:
347:
345:Fall and winter
335:
262:
257:
249:O. l. propinqua
224:O. l. propinqua
217:
165:
159:
153:
140:
48:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1039:
1037:
1029:
1028:
1023:
1018:
1013:
1008:
1003:
998:
988:
987:
981:
980:
978:
977:
964:
951:
938:
925:
912:
899:
886:
873:
860:
847:
834:
818:
816:
814:Osmia lignaria
810:
809:
804:
798:
797:
785:Osmia lignaria
781:
776:
771:
759:
756:
755:
754:
748:
735:
729:
716:
710:
695:
692:
689:
688:
661:
640:
633:
615:
591:
579:
526:
498:
497:
495:
492:
491:
490:
483:
480:
435:Monodontomerus
418:Monodontomerus
393:Stelis montana
371:
368:
359:
356:
346:
343:
334:
331:
261:
258:
256:
253:
232:O. l. lignaria
228:O. l. lignaria
216:
213:
193:carpenter bees
173:Osmia lignaria
167:
166:
160:
155:Osmia lignaria
149:
148:
142:
141:
134:
132:
128:
127:
120:
116:
115:
110:
106:
105:
100:
96:
95:
90:
86:
85:
80:
76:
75:
70:
66:
65:
60:
56:
55:
42:
41:
37:
36:
28:
27:
25:Osmia lignaria
16:Species of bee
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1038:
1027:
1024:
1022:
1019:
1017:
1014:
1012:
1009:
1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
997:
994:
993:
991:
974:
969:
965:
961:
956:
952:
948:
943:
939:
935:
930:
926:
922:
917:
913:
909:
904:
900:
896:
891:
887:
883:
878:
874:
870:
865:
861:
857:
852:
848:
844:
839:
835:
830:
824:
820:
819:
817:
815:
811:
807:
802:
795:
791:
787:
786:
782:
780:
777:
775:
772:
769:
765:
762:
761:
757:
751:
745:
741:
736:
732:
726:
722:
717:
713:
707:
703:
698:
697:
693:
684:
680:
676:
672:
665:
662:
651:
644:
641:
636:
630:
626:
619:
616:
608:
607:
600:
598:
596:
592:
588:
583:
580:
575:
571:
567:
563:
558:
553:
550:(4): 932–41.
549:
545:
541:
539:
530:
527:
512:
511:
503:
500:
493:
489:
486:
485:
481:
479:
477:
473:
472:North America
469:
468:
462:
460:
456:
452:
448:
444:
440:
436:
432:
431:
426:
425:
420:
419:
414:
409:
407:
403:
399:
395:
394:
389:
388:
383:
379:
378:
369:
367:
365:
357:
355:
352:
344:
342:
340:
332:
330:
327:
321:
318:
315:
309:
307:
301:
298:
289:
281:
275:
270:
266:
259:
254:
252:
250:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
215:Native origin
214:
212:
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
187:
183:
179:
175:
174:
163:
158:
156:
150:
147:
146:Binomial name
143:
139:
138:
133:
130:
129:
126:
125:
121:
118:
117:
114:
111:
108:
107:
104:
101:
98:
97:
94:
91:
88:
87:
84:
81:
78:
77:
74:
71:
68:
67:
64:
61:
58:
57:
52:
47:
43:
38:
34:
29:
26:
22:
19:
813:
784:
767:
739:
720:
701:
674:
670:
664:
653:. Retrieved
643:
624:
618:
605:
582:
547:
543:
537:
529:
518:, retrieved
509:
502:
475:
465:
463:
458:
455:cuckoo wasps
450:
446:
442:
438:
434:
428:
422:
416:
410:
405:
401:
397:
391:
385:
381:
375:
373:
361:
348:
336:
325:
322:
319:
313:
310:
302:
296:
294:
273:
263:
248:
231:
227:
223:
219:
218:
204:
196:
181:
177:
172:
171:
170:
154:
152:
136:
135:
123:
113:Megachilidae
24:
18:
929:NatureServe
903:iNaturalist
439:O. lignaria
326:O. lignaria
297:O. lignaria
274:O. lignaria
220:O. lignaria
209:pollination
197:O. lignaria
103:Hymenoptera
990:Categories
655:2015-08-10
494:References
488:Mason bees
447:Melittobia
364:mason bees
314:O. lignara
306:honey bees
186:megachilid
83:Arthropoda
520:March 24,
443:Leucospis
421:species,
370:Parasites
255:Lifecycle
131:Species:
69:Kingdom:
63:Eukaryota
934:2.836398
851:BugGuide
829:Q2243042
823:Wikidata
677:: 73–6.
566:24865141
482:See also
351:diapause
109:Family:
79:Phylum:
73:Animalia
59:Domain:
895:5039420
882:2753442
788:on the
612:. 2001.
574:7211839
358:Defense
240:Florida
184:, is a
119:Genus:
99:Order:
93:Insecta
89:Class:
973:327610
960:179907
947:473952
921:715574
908:121507
856:103986
746:
727:
708:
631:
572:
564:
441:, but
408:nest.
402:Sapyga
398:Stelis
387:Sapyga
333:Summer
260:Spring
244:almond
236:Redbud
164:, 1837
996:Osmia
869:75B7Z
843:21434
610:(PDF)
570:S2CID
538:Osmia
514:(PDF)
476:Osmia
459:Osmia
451:Osmia
406:Osmia
382:Osmia
339:pupal
205:Osmia
201:fruit
124:Osmia
942:NCBI
916:ITIS
890:GBIF
838:BOLD
794:IFAS
744:ISBN
725:ISBN
706:ISBN
629:ISBN
562:PMID
522:2011
400:and
877:EoL
864:CoL
679:doi
675:118
552:doi
433:.
189:bee
180:or
162:Say
992::
970::
957::
944::
931::
918::
905::
892::
879::
866::
853::
840::
825::
792:/
790:UF
766:—
673:.
594:^
568:.
560:.
548:43
546:.
542:.
211:.
770:.
752:.
733:.
714:.
685:.
681::
658:.
637:.
576:.
554::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
