When I started my company, Beediverse Products, my evenings and weekends were quickly taken up with running fall workshops, spring seminars and going to quite a few conventions. During a very busy time, I decided to ‘clone’ myself by producing a DVD “All about mason bees” !
Of course, my reason for producing the DVD was to make it easier for anyone to run an Introductory seminar on Mason Bees. The DVD is a core piece of information for any seminar on mason bees.
This DVD is an integral part of learning and teaching about mason bees. This DVD has sectors on the bees flying around and superb photography inside the nesting tunnel. It also explains pollination and how to manage mason bees.
Another great tool to have when you do seminar is the Lifecycle poster. Wen Lin and I created the lifecycle/ management poster in color using Andi Lonon’s beautiful sketches. This poster is a powerful tool in helping people understand the idea of solitary bees and their lifecycle.
Here are three ideas I would present at a seminar on the “Introduction to Mason Bees”
1. Show them a nest or two and tell them where to hang the nest. The best location for any nest is on a East facing wall of a shed or house, under an overhang and in the sun. Also show them where to place the cocoons- preferably under cover of the nest and close to the nesting tunnels.
2. Go over the lifecycle using the lifecycle poster.
3. Show them the sections on the DVD of mason bees flying in and out of the nest, mason bees inside the nesting tunnel and the section on pollination.
Both the DVD and the poster can be obtained on-line via the website www.Beediverse.com
