Spring is a busy season for everyone!
Stores are stocked up with mason bee homes, books and DVD’s. Most gardeners have set out their cleaned mason bee home and are ready for the bees to come out. Some new mason bee enthusiasts, missed out on getting their mason bees, but they are still setting out their bee homes, because a female in the area, might find the nest and produce offspring for next year.
Nectarine and peach blossoms are opening up in California. This is also happening in Arizona, but a recent frost likely damaged a lot of blossoms.
Here in Vancouver BC temperatures are still cool, but Pieris japonicus is out especially in protected areas such as alongside buildings.
Rex Welland always told me that in the warmer Victoria (BC), mason bees would come out mid-March, and fill their first nesting tubes by late March. Right on schedule!
Watch out for the tell tale sign of clay-like deposits on the front of the nest. These are the first droppings of the newly emerged bees.
