Bee News, Updates & Seasonal Tips

Over the years you've shared some amazing photos of bee-friendly yards and gardens with us and this spring we want to highlight your hard work and creativity to help inspire others! Share your pictures and bee-friendly habitat details, and you may be "crowned" the winner of Crown Bees 1st annual Backyard Buzz contest. From Crown Bees' houses surrounded by native plants to completely recycled DIY bee houses to pesticide free gardening and everything in-between.....show us your best! Submissions must include a photo and a short description detailing what makes your yard and garden bee-friendly. Submissions accepted: April 15th - June...

Carpenter bees can be deterred without insecticides by making wood less attractive to them. Carpenter bees are large, native, beneficial pollinators that drill nickel-sized holes into weathered, unpainted softwood like cedar, pine, redwood, and cypress to lay their eggs. They do not eat wood and are not aggressive, but their tunnels can lead to water damage, decay, and rot if left unmanaged for several years. The most effective bee-safe prevention methods are: Paint, varnish, or pressure-treat exterior wood to reduce weathering. Use hardwoods instead of softwoods for exterior construction when possible. Fill existing cracks, pits, and gaps that Carpenter bees...

Each month our Bee Informed Blog highlights current news, science, and research related to solitary bee conservation, food insecurity, and sustainability. 1. The loss of insects is an apocalypse worth worrying about (Vox) Perhaps you don’t think much about the value of dung beetles. But without them crawling around farms, stables, and wild savannas today, the world would be pretty, er, shitty. What about the importance of small, mosquito-like flies called midges? Without them, there’d be no chocolate and likely no ice cream because they pollinate both cacao and the plants that feed dairy cows. “There are lots of tiny little things...

Traditionally, caring for spring Mason bees was a straightforward affair, involving three simple steps: installing the bee house, releasing the cocoons, and then enjoying the fruits of their pollinating labor. However, the emergence of the Houdini Fly, an invasive parasite targeting Mason bees, has necessitated an important addition to our care regimen.