A Golden Presentation

Bees for Master Gardeners

Prepared for OSU Extension Lane County

by Morris & Rita Ostrofsky3/2/11

Bees for Master Gardeners

Today’s goal:Help prepare you to educate the public

about the interaction ofpollinators, plants and

people

• Pollinator disappearance and what this means to gardeners

• Introduce you to 4 beneficial bees

• Provide you with ways to attract bees

• Address several bee related questions you are likely to receive from the public

Today we will cover the following:

2011

1947

Pollination: Primary Value

Without pollination some fruits and vegetables don’t grow up

DAY 1Pollination vs non pollination

Non-pollinatedPollinated

Day 7

Pollinated Non-pollinated

Day 11

PollinatedNon-pollinated

2 pairs of wings vs.2 single wings

Hymenoptera =

membrane wings

Ability to carry pollen

INSECT FAVORITE

FOOD

HABITAT HOW TO

ATTRACT

MAINTENANCE BEHAVIOR

TOWARD

HUMANS

HONEY

PRODUCTION

Wide variety Soil Bare patch of

soil

EASY: None Non-aggressive. None

MINER BEE - Native/Solitary

Pieris japonica,

fruit trees, roses,

radishes,

strawberries.

Wood blocks,

straws

Provide

bundles of

straws, wood

blocks

EASY: Remove

old nesting

material yearly.

Non aggressive,

tiny pin prick sting,

will sting if stepped

or squeezed

None

MASON BEE – Native

Solitary

Tomatoes,

lavender, clover,

honeysuckle,

artichokes

Nesting

boxes,

abandoned

mice or rat

nests

Provide nesting

box with soft

nesting

material

EASY: Change

nesting material

yearly, sterilize

nesting box.

Defensive 15 feet

around hive if

disturbed

Just enough for

colony.

BUMBLE BEE –

Native|/Social

Wide variety of

fruits, vegetables

& ornamental

plants. Most

important all

around

pollinator.

Wooden

boxes

containing

wax comb

Previously used

bee hives will

attract swarms.

Best method is

to purchase

established

healthy hives.

LABOR

INTENSIVE:

Keeping healthy

bees requires time,

knowledge,

physical exertion

and investment.

Defensive 10 – 15

feet around hive if

disturbed. About

1% of population is

allergic to sting.

Roughly 30

pounds of honey

per hive, per year.

EUROPEAN HONEY BEE –

Non- native?/Social

Miner Bee aka Digger Bee

• Pollinates many plants

• Hundreds of varieties

• Slightly smaller than a honey bee

• Easiest of all the backyard bees to maintain

• NON aggressive

• No honey production

Bumble Bee

• Many varieties and sizes

• Green house tomato pollinator

• Love artichokes and lavender

• Size: variable

• Defensive 15 feet around hive

• Honey production enough for colony only

Greenhouse Specialist

Why Mason Bees?

• Honeybee helper

• Early & efficient pollinators

• Easy to keep

• Rarely sting

• Require little space

• Not expensive

• Fun for family

Early and efficient pollinator

• Early season March-June

• Fewer needed for pollination than honey bees

• Short foraging range

• Pollinates early blossoming plants

•Apple•Strawberries•Cherry•Plum•Nectarine•Prune•Blueberries•Japonica

A Year in the Life of Masons and Gardeners:

Spring

Inside View of Mason Bee Nest

Mud Partition

Egg

Pollen & Honey

Glass Tube

Mason Bees Must BuildMud must be close to nest

Summer

Cocoons in Nesting Block

Fall

Retrieve & store nests

Keeping Them Healthy

Cocoon

Mites

Mite Control Method: Cocoon Maintenance:

Step 1: Collect cocoons

Step 2: Wash cocoons

• Rinse with room temperature water to remove mud

•Continue until most of the mud is removed

Step 3:Rinse cocoons

• Rinse in .05% bleach solution (1 tablespoon of 5% bleach in 4 quarts of water)

•Rinse in cold water to remove mites

• Allow cocoons to air dry

Step 4: Store

Winter

About 2 weeks before Masons emerge

Location – Location - Location

Mason Bee Nesting Tubes

Introduction of Cocoons

Another introduction technique:

Turning a Weed into a Welcome Mat

Unusual Mason Bee Homes

Splitting Teasel

Starting to Look Like Home

Just right

We’ve got customers

Mason Bee Nest

How Do I Get Started?

•Easiest way is to put out nesting tubes. If you have Mason bees in your area, some will nest in those tubes.

•For faster results you can purchase occupied tubes or get some from a friend.

To bee or not to bee

Mis-identification can result in a bum wrap for the honeybee

Honey Bee

• Most important pollinator: pollinates 1/3rd of the food crops

• Several varieties

• Defensive 10-15 feet around hive if disturbed

• Honey production approximately 30 pounds per hive per year

• Not native to America?

Pollination: Primary Value

Percentage of Decline of Crop Yield without Honeybees’ Pollination

Crop% Dependence on

HoneybeesCrop

% Dependence on

Honeybees

Almond100 Lemon & Lime

20

Apple 90 Lettuce 10

Apricot 70 Lupine 10

Asparagus 90 Macadamia 90

Avocado 100 Mandarin 30

Bean 10 Mango 90

Blueberry 100 Nectarine 60

Broccoli 100 Onion 100

Brussels

sprout 30 Orange 30

Cabbage 30 Papaya 20

Carrot 100 Peach 60

Cauliflower 100 Peanut 10

Celery 100 Pear 50

Cherries 90 Plum and prune 70

Cotton lint 20 Pumpkin 90

Cucumber 90 Strawberry 40

Grapefruit 80 Watermelon 70

Kiwi 90

The Queen’s Only Role

• Lay Eggs

• Lay Eggs

• Lay More Eggs

• Lay Even More Eggs

Depositing an egg in cell

Drone aka Male Bee

• Mates with Queen

• Expects to be Waited On

• Mostly Does Nothing

Worker Bees: 60,000 Strong

From Darkness to Light to Flight

•Raise Babies•Care for Queen •Maintain Hive•Build Comb

•Protect Hive as Guard Bee

•Collect Nectar•Collect Pollen•Work Until Their Wingswear Out

Pollination= Flower Constancy

How to attract bees:Leave grassy thickets for Bumble Bees

Protect grassy thickets or other areas of dense low cover from mowing or other disturbance

Leave tree stumps and leaf piles for Masons and Bumble Bees

Leave a bare patch of ground for Miner Bees

You can encourage Masons by providing them with a home

Best way to promote honey bees

Create a bee friendly garden

Provide a diverse community of plants attractive to pollinators

Use plants that attract pollinators

Hot Line Questions

Hot Line Question

It’s not time for the Mason bees to emerge but the nesting block has holes in the mud plugs.

Why is this happening?What can I do about it?

A. Protect nest

Hot Line Question

“I have a couple of apple

trees and a small garden.

What do you recommend I

do for pollination?

What do I do for pollination?

A. Mason Bee: an efficient low maintenance pollinator

A. Honey bees pollinate and provide honey but are high maintenance

Hot Line Question

“I have seen

Mason bees

coming out of holes

in the side of the

house.

Are they causing

any damage? ”

A. No, Masons can not chew; they use existing holes

Hot Line Question

“I have been hearing a

lot about Mason bees.

How do I get some? ”

A. Purchase Mason bees in tubes or cocoons

A. Get populated tubes from a friend

A. Put nest/tubes out and wait

Hot Line Question

“I just got a Mason

bee starter kit.

“Where should I

put it?”

Hot Line Question

“I put a Mason bee

nest near my front

door so my family

could watch them.

But my cherry tree

is still not

producing fruit.

What’s wrong?”

A. Location, location, location

• Ask how far away is your tree from the Mason bee nest?

• Mason bees have a very short flight range with a maximum of 300 feet.

Hot Line Question

“A swarm of bees

landed in my back

yard. I want to get

rid of them but

don’t want to kill

them.

What can I do?”

What can I do?

A. Reassure caller that the swarm is valuable and NOT aggressive.

• Just leave them along; often will leave within a day

• Best thing; call a local beekeeper

Hot Line Question

“I’ve heard killer

bees are spreading

northward. Are

there killer bees in

Oregon?”

A. No, no killer bees have been found in the state

Hot Line Question

“I’ve been thinking

about keeping

honey bees.

Are there any

zoning problems

I should know

about?”

A. Each County and each City has different regulations

Contact the appropriate agency for proposed location of bees

Hot Line Question

“I used to see lots of

bees on my fruit trees

but now it’s rare.

Is this because of the

bees disappearing? ”

A. Greatest likelihood neighborhood hives now lost due to Parasitic Mites

Front desk questions

Client Question

“This bee was stinging

my dog and when I

tried to get it out of her

fur, it stung me too.

What is it?

How can I get rid of it?”

A. It is not a honeybee because honey bees only sting once

How do I get rid of Yellow Jackets?

• Chemical: Spray insecticide into nest entrance AT NIGHT.

• Non-chemical: Invert a large transparent container over nest AT NIGHT or

• Just wait and the workers will

die after a couple of frosts.

Hot Line Question

There is this grassy stuff sticking out the end of one of my Mason nesting tubes.

What is it?

A. Mason Bee Wasp nesting material; it is grass

Hot Line Question

“I’ve read that

herbicides are bad for

bees?

Bees aren’t plants so

why is it a problem?

A. When bees pick up herbicide from plants, it kills their beneficial microflora.

Hot Line Question

“I’m having a real

problem with insects

eating my garden.

How can I use

pesticides without

harming the bees?

A. If you absolutely have to use pesticides:

Most importantly do NOT apply pesticides on plants that are BLOSSOMING

Apply a minimal amount

Follow directions on the label

Hot Line Question

“My plants look

good but my

zucchinis don’t

mature?”

What’s wrong?

A. Lack of Pollination

PollinatedNon-pollinated

Hot Line Question

“What can I

do now?”

Hand Pollinate

MALE

FEMALE

What the caller can do now

The End