The CREC is trying out mason bees, Osmia lignaria, this year, aka: blue orchard bees or orchard mason bees. These are wild bees that can easily be managed by humans. Mason bees are native to places ...

Orchard mason bees (Osmia lingeria) are fun to watch and easy to raise at home. Larger than a housefly and black in color, they are not known for stinging. These valuable insects help pollinate our ...

You’ve probably seen them placidly buzzing around your garden in late spring. Maybe you mistook this solitary little insect for a fly. Put away the swatter: They aren’t flies, they are bees — very ...

Immediately outside her front door, Beth Rose communes with bees. She's not rewarded with honey for her hospitality, but her fruit bowl is piled high, and she's never felt the pain of a sting. Rose, a ...

Bees need us, and we need them. If you plant a succession of spring, summer and fall flowering plants in your yard, bees have a continual source of nectar. In return, they help pollinate plants in our ...

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Many readers would already be familiar with Colony Collapse Disorder and the mysterious worldwide disappearance of honeybees. Everything from mites to viruses to electromagnetic radiation are ...

Bees need us and we need them. In your yard, plant a succession of spring, summer and fall flowering plants so bees have a continual source of nectar. In return, they help pollinate plants in our home ...

Q: My pear trees haven’t been producing well for the past few years. The fruit seem to be getting smaller, and most of them fall off before they ripen. Why is this happening? A: The problem is most ...

If you grow vegetables, berry bushes or fruit trees (or all of the above) then you already understand the importance of successful pollination. Flowers need to be pollinated in order to successfully ...