Garden masons are common bees that lead a solitary lifestyle.They are successfully used for pollination of both fruit plants, e.g. apple trees, and vegetables under covers.Research shows that the effectiveness of pollination by mason bee is comparable to pollination by a honey bee.
Unfortunately, the latter has been struggling with huge problems in recent years. A warm and long autumn favored her infestation by parasites, and then a cold winter, freezing in some areas of the black locust (commonly known as acacia) buds further weakened the already depleted bee colonies. The smaller number of bees affects the lower pollination of crops, and thus - the yield.
Therefore, care should be taken to ensure that wild bee species can find optimal development conditions in home gardens.One of such methods is to prepare places for mason bees to lay eggs and raise young.For this purpose, empty reed stalks are best cut into shorter, about 30-40 cm pieces.
The cut reed is bound with a wire, and then placed in a quiet, dry place in the garden. The outlets of future nesting chambers should be directed towards the sun.Red mason bees can settle in our garden on their own, but the process is long.Another option is to buy bees in specialized breeding apiaries.
Finally, it should be added that the mason bee is not an aggressive species, so we can stay near its nest without fear.
