Blog

We love mason bees for many reasons! They're early spring pollinators, a lot of fun to watch, and require very little maintenance compared to honey bees, making them perfect bees for busy gardeners and farmers.Traditionally, spring mason bee care included three simple steps. Step one, Install the mason bee house—step two, release mason bee cocoons. Step three, sit back and relax while these super pollinators do their thing. However, the Houdini Fly, an invasive parasite of the mason bee, has add …

Mason bees are susceptible to many parasites and diseases, increasing over time, especially when the same nest materials are used for multiple seasons. One of the most destructive diseases of cavity-nesting bees is chalkbrood, which is caused by the fungal pathogen Ascosphaera.Several species of Ascosphaera exist, including Ascosphaera torchioi (affects mason bees), A. larvis, and A. aggregata (affects alfalfa leafcutter bees). Chalkbrood disease also affects honey bees, but it is caused yet ano …