The Mason Bee - A Mighty Pollinator!

 

The Mason Bee - A Mighty Pollinator!

When most of us hear the word “bee,” an image of a honeybee or bumblebee comes to mind. However, there are so many other kinds of bees that most people don’t know exist.

There are two distinct groups of bees; some are social, and others are solitary. Honey and bumblebees are social; they live together in large colonies or hives. Other bees, like the mason bee, live solitary lives, building their nests, laying eggs, and stockpiling food for their young in them. So how are mason bees different than honey or bumblebees?

First, they don’t make honey, nor do they sting (unless you squeeze them!). If a mason bee stings you, the sting isn’t painful. Mason bees are super-pollinators because one mason bee can do the work of about seventy-five honeybees! A very impressive bee!