Sunday, May 29, 2011

Flowers for Bees

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Flowers provide food for bees in the form of nectar and pollen.  Thus flowers are critical to their survival.  However, not all flowers prod...
Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Effect of overwintering temperatures-RESEARCH ARTICLE

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A very interesting article by Bosch and Kemp from Utah State University in Logan, on the effect of overwintering temperatures.  This is a su...
Sunday, May 22, 2011

Setting out cocoons- SMALL scale verses LARGE scale

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Mass release of alfalfa leaf cutter bee cocoons . I started this article some time ago, before I had all the pictures in place.  Even th...
Friday, May 20, 2011

Link to '10 Easy Fruit Bearing Trees'

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Keith writes: "We would love to share with you an article that we just posted on our own blog! “ 10 Easy Fruit-Bearing Trees” ( http...
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Using markers to help bees find their nesting tunnels

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There are two simple ways of marking a nest to help bees find their nesting tunnel-  with colour and design. Honey bees can see hues of b...
Monday, May 16, 2011

Sticky dots for monitoring nests- from Cal.

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" I noticed something was trying to dig into the finished mud cap on one of the tunnels and I got to thinking.  Once sealed there is n...
Saturday, May 14, 2011

Questions from Barry on longevity,survival in cold temperatures

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Thanks for your questions Barry.  My comments are in blue. Hi, Barry here. I have a couple of questions about Mason Bees.  Any help would b...
Sunday, May 8, 2011

Help Mason Bees more easily find their home.

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This is a question I have been asked several times-  How to help mason bees find their nest. In nature, mason bees do not have this proble...

6" Petri dishes for Cocoon storage

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In a previous blog I wrote about 6" diameter petri dishes that are so handy for storing large numbers of cocoons.  When you have a larg...

Mason Bee 'Catcher'

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Under certain circumstances, it is handy to have a container into which you can place escapee mason bees. These escapees are mason bees th...

D27 YURT for mason bees- ready for spring

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The opening in the roof of the D27 yurt is used by mason bees that are  exiting the yurt and is for venting any excess  heat during the...
Saturday, May 7, 2011

Male mason bee peaks out of a release cottage

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"Anybody there?" "Mmmm.  It looks cold out there." "What is that thing out there?  A human being?" ...
Saturday, April 30, 2011

Petri Dish storage system for mason bee cocoons

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Cleaned cocoons stored in a petri dsih. The best storage system that I have found for mason bee cocoons are petri dishes. They are 6...

Apple bloom in Langley April 25th

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This is an early blooming apple variety.  Most other apple varieties are still in the tight-bud stage.  Note dandelion bloom in background...
Sunday, April 24, 2011

Keremeo's First Apricot blossoms

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Hi! Today (April 13th) I decided to send you a photo titled "First Blossom". It is a photo of our apricot blossoms in the popcorn...

Story- Mason Bees make useful garden pets

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http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Mason+bees+make+useful+garden+pets/4662774/story.html
Saturday, April 23, 2011

Viewing nest- observation nest

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This is the 3-hole Beediverse Observation Nest. Leafcutter bees are present in the left hand nesting tunnel.  The remaining two nesting ...

Bee droppings

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Matt B. writes. "We're seeing a curious phenomenon this year, and hope you can enlighten us.  As we've done previous years, ...
1 comment:
Thursday, April 21, 2011

Beautiful Peach tree blossoms

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Here are some of my peach tree blossoms.  Many pollen producing anthers surround the female stigma.  Once pollen has been transferred to the...
Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Petal Snow!

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My early yellow plum is loosing its petals.  I call it petal snow.  Because of the very cold weather, I doubt that we will get any yellow pl...