Sorry, my Orchard Mason Bees have been spoken for this season.

I have some Orchard Mason Bees (dormant cocoons, ready to emerge this Spring) available for trade. As you may know honeybees are suffering a population crash and Orchard Mason Bees are an excellent alternative for pollinating your fruit blossoms this Spring. They are native (to US) non-aggressive (rarely sting if ever) bees that collect pollen and build nests in holes. Unlike honeybees, very little maintenance is required and it's easy to make nests - just some scrap wood and some drilling, I can provide instructions or you can buy prebuilt nests off the internet.

I can give you three tubes (up to 10 cocoons per tube but I can't guarantee the exact number) or, if you want to be sure of the number, 20 cocoons removed from the nest tubes. This will be enough to get a colony started. Just put them inside or near the nest and they will hatch this Spring, starting late March or so, and start pollinating and filling the nests. Internet vendors are asking around $30 for this. I will trade for scion wood/cuttings, prefer the following, or make an offer:

Hardy Kiwi, Actinidia arguta, (male & female)
Figs
Cold hardy citrus
Persimmon

I only have a limited number of cocoons, they will go to the best offer, or I am willing to sell outright if no interesting offers are available.

Thanks,

Fan Tao
California, USA
p.s. In case you are wondering, no, they do not produce honey.

Fan,
You may have a problem getting Cold hardy Citrus Budwood, Personally I would love to send you some, But you are in California.
I can send you some seeds.
Darren

I can send some persimmon wood (Jiro), and an unknown variety of fig from my yard, but being from FL -- I cannot send any citrus out of state.

I have heard that some kinds of the mason bees do not do well in areas of high humidity-- I have built some homes, but all I have using them are some small wasp.

I believe I have the West Coast variety of Mason Bee that prefers a dry climate, and may not do well in a humid area, so sorry for all of you in the East. There is supposed to be an East Coast subspecies but I am not sure where you can obtain it.

I hate to say this but i live on the west coast and it is anything But Dry LOL
Im in oregon though . Smiles
Would these bees be ok for a back yard area Or would they use my stick built home as a nesting area ?
Tammy

The Home Orchard Society is in Oregon and they sell Mason Bees. So there are Mason Bees that are adapted to humid climates.