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Mon, Feb 18, 13 at 23:24
| I just ordered some Hornfaced Mason Bees today and Im wondering if any one in the Houston Tx area/Gulf Coast Counties has tried to raise them? For that matter, mason bees in general? Are there native Mason Bees on the Gulf Coast states???? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by CharlieBoring 7 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 20, 13 at 6:40
| I heard from a guy in Alabama that says he has mason bees. I have them populating my boxes without purchase in northern VA. Mason bee habitat is wooded areas of North America and around homes. Mason Bees are native to almost the entire continental USA and Southern Canada. There are about 140 species of solitary bees in North America. All of these species polinate. One way to determine what you have naturally living in your area is to build a mason bee box and see what inhabits it. I suggest that you drill some 5/16" holes and some smaller ones. The mason bees will select the 5/16" holes, while smaller species will select the smaller holes. |
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- Posted by CharlieBoring 7 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 20, 13 at 6:45
| I did a little research after I posted. Here is what I found, "Bringing Mason bees from a different climatic region can present problems in two ways. Firstly, Blue Orchard Mason bees from lower latitudes (e.g. south Texas, which fly February to March) develop more slowly as they have a longer pre-pupal stages and require temperatures of at least 75 degrees to develop. If you transplant them to a cooler area some bees will fail to reach maturity. If you move Orchard Mason bees from higher latitudes (e.g. southern Canada, which fly April to May) to a warmer region they will mature before ambient temperatures start to decline and will have to use up body fat reserves until temperatures drop enough so they can enter hibernation. They will now be in a depleted state and may starve over winter or emerge in a weakened condition come spring." |
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- Posted by blueboy1977 TX9A/B (My Page) on Wed, Feb 20, 13 at 15:04
| Thanks for the response. I ordered 20 horn faced mason bees Mon with a small wooden house for them. I guess I will take my chances with them and if nothing else hopefully some locals will take up residence in the house. When I ordered them from Crown Bees he said they should do fine in my area. Only time will tell. Thanks again for the response. |
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