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Don't worry, solitary bees don't have a queen or honey to protect, so these gentle bees are safe around kids and pets. Making them the perfect addition to your backyard!

Did you know there are over 20,000 known bee species in the world?

Less than 10% of all bees are social, like honey and bumble bees. The other 90% are solitary bees.

Some solitary bees live in the ground, but others build their nests inside tunnels left behind by insects, in the hollow stems of certain plants, and in bee houses like these.

Why Are Solitary Bees Important? 

They're Super Pollinators — Solitary bees pollinate ~ 95% of the flowers they visit, whereas honey bees generally only pollinate ~ 5% of the flowers they visit. You can easily see the difference in the image below. 

You can easily see the difference in the image below. Notice the pollen basket on the leg of the honey bee (left) and the pollen all over the underside of the belly of the solitary bee (right). 

They're Diverse — Solitary bees collect pollen and nectar from just about any flower, in nearly every ecosystem, throughout the entire growing season. That means not only do solitary bees help us grow more food year-round, but they pollinate our natural ecosystems, too.

They're Crucial for Crops — While the vast majority of food production in the United States relies on the honey bee, native bees provide more than $3 billion dollars in pollination services each year! 

They're Perfect for Backyards — Cavity-nesting bees, like mason and leafcutter bees, are the perfect pollinators for backyard gardens, farms, and orchards because they are gentle, easy to raise, and fun to watch. Not to mention, they can double or even triple your yields!

What You Can Do To Help?  

We've all heard the phrase "Save the Bees". But it's not honey bees that are at risk, the actual bees that are under threat are our native, solitary bees.

Anyone can help our native, solitary bees! No, you won't get any honey, but you'll enjoy more flowers, thriving ecosystems, and heartier fruits and veggies in your garden! 

• Plant Native Plants — Native plants provide nectar, pollen, seeds, and structure that serve as food and habitat for native bees and other animals.

• Install a Bee House — Purchase or make a native bee house with replaceable nesting tubes to offer a safe space for cavity-nesting bees to lay their eggs.

• Reduce Pesticides — Pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides can kill bees and other pollinators. Even at low doses, these chemicals can have sublethal effects on pollinators. 

Is Raising Solitary Bees Difficult?   

Not at all! Unlike honey bees, solitary bees require very little annual maintenance and supplies are much less expensive. 

We're Here to Help! 

Crown Bees has years of solitary, cavity-nesting bee-raising experience and we love sharing our knowledge to help you BEE successful!

• BeeMail — Sign up for our monthly BeeMail to receive timely information, reminders, and tips to help guide you along your solitary bee-raising journey.

• Bee Knowledgeable — Whether it's guidance on raising solitary bees, resources to teach your community about these fantastic pollinators, or classroom activities to implement in a school or library program - that you'll be able to find it here!

• Help Center — Still have questions? Visit our self-service online help center or chat with us directly online and we'll be happy to help you out!