News — Gardening Tips

Chances are if you’re reading this article, you own or have an interest in solitary bees. Cute, charismatic, gentle (no need to worry about being stung!) - what’s not to love? And if you love bees, you likely have an interest in supporting them and making the world a more hospitable place for them. Cue Bee Friendly Gardening. Bee Friendly Gardening (BFG) is a program administered by Pollinator Partnership - the world’s largest nonprofit dedicated exclusively to the health of pollinating animals. BFG is a membership program that aims to help people play a bigger role in the health of pollinators (such as...

Each month our Bee Informed Blog highlights current news, science, and research related to solitary bee conservation, food insecurity, and sustainability. 1. "New unusual bee species discovered with dog-like snout" (Phys.org) A new native bee species with a dog-like "snout" has been discovered in Perth bushland though Curtin-led research that sheds new light on our most important pollinators. Published in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research, author Dr. Kit Prendergast, from the Curtin School of Molecular and Life Sciences, has named the new species after her pet dog Zephyr after noticing a protruding part of the insect's face looked similar to a dog's...

Each month our Bee Informed Blog highlights current news, science, and research related to solitary bee conservation, food insecurity, and sustainability. 1. "Students raising mason bees at Orcas School" (The Islands' Sounder) Orcas Master Gardeners Dray Longdon, Laura Walker, Tony Suruda and Nancy Forker visited the Orcas School Garden on Oct. 6 to help the 5th-grade students harvest cocoons of mason bees and prepare them for winter storage. Mason bees are native pollinators that nest in cavities. They harvested nesting tubes that have been at the school from April through October. Mason bees, along with bumble bees, are important early spring pollinators...

If you have a greenhouse, pollination can be a struggle. After all, 1/3 of the food we eat is dependent on pollinators, and without them, you'll be pollinating your greenhouse plants by hand with a paintbrush. So, it's no wonder that many of our bee raisers ask us if they can raise mason and leafcutter bees in greenhouses, high tunnels, and hoop houses. Bumble bees have historically been the bee of choice for many mid to large size greenhouse growers. However, recent research suggests that cavity-nesters such as mason and leafcutter bees can function well in covered environments. But, it's important...