Helping the bees

[gaiatechnician]

Honey bees are not the only type of bees. Most types are solitary or live in very small groups. In BC Canada, the garden shops sell little wood blocks with holes drilled in them and plastic tubes all made to be perfect for blue orchard mason bees. But, what about all the other types? They need homes too! My first attempt to help was by drilling different sized holes in wood blocks. This ends up fairly hard to do. The drill bits need to be long, over 4 inches so humming birds do not stick in their tongues and eat the little baby bees as snacks. It is possible but you have to buy a set of the long drill bits (and have a good drill) So this year I took a different approach. I made a block of cob (clay sand and straw mixed up with water to the thickness of stiff icecream and I inserted all sorts of different metal bars, spokes, knitting needles and then let it dry out and go hard. Before it got too hard, I took out the metal to leave a hole for the bees. Sure enough they came and took shelter in the holes. Lately they have been filling them with their eggs and capping the holes off. There are at least 3 types of bees involved.
Cob bee block mark 2 has hollow stems of plants and weeds as part of the structure. They are inserted and covered over with cob. Then the bees, (if they prefer) can use the stems too and they are both safe from birds and safe from composting. At least 2 types of bees in my garden like to burrow inside old raspberry canes. So raspberry canes and grape vine old wood are part of the mix too! I have several videos about it. Here is one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkFjcoqI1gU and I will try to attach a photo here of one of the bees that shelter in my first bee blocks. http://transitionvictoria.ning.com/photo/wasp-imitator-bee?context=album&albumId=5043327%3AAlbum%3A4299
Brian

[gaiatechnician]

Another try at posting a pic! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=246092&id=736625766&l=26546198d6 is an album about it. Hope that works
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6685501&l=5c3901b561&id=736625766
Brian

[Fred's Fine Fowl]

That's a very interesting way to create habitat for natives... another reason why those with land and trees, should consider leaving the snags/dead trees to decay rather than cutting them down for aesthetics. Woodpeckers, and an endless variety of insects make use of them.

Also consider starting your own apiary (honey bee colony)... there is a return on your investment in the form of honey, wax and pollination as far as 3 miles away. Most communities do allow apiaries in the backyard. Big city dwellers can have them on roof tops and balconies.

Thanks for sharing your ideas :}

Fred
www.FredsFineFowl.com
See how honey bees come in the mail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F33-fbeammU

[gardengirl72]

Please enter the garden photo contest we're running. on http://www.UrbanSustainableLiving.com.

[MoniDew]

When I saw the topic of your post, I thought, "I need to tell them about my oregano!" (which is swarming in bees right now because it's flowering.) But, after reading the post, I realize that my response is just a little bit off topic. However, I totally agree and realize that, with the bee population dwindling, we have to support the populations of other important pollinators.

If it helps to know this, my accidental discovery about the oregano has invited tons of beautiful honeybees into my garden. Maybe that info will be helpful to someone...

I apologize for hijacking your thread momentarily and now return it to you.

[gaiatechnician]

I put it on instructables and it is very popular.
and I continue to add photos to the facebook album.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Save-the-bees-from-extinction-You-CAN-do-it/
Day 2 and over 3000 views.
The wasp mimic bees are still around. I NEVER even noticed them before!
Yesterday at work I thought I had hurt one because I found it crawling in the dirt. (A big male). But it wasn't me, it was another male bee. They fight over those patches of blue flowers! And they really go at it. Like the fights in the end of the first iron man movie.
This guy was hurt and covered in dust but 5 minutes later he was in the air again taking on another bee and getting beaten again. 3 HOURS later, he was still ready to fight for that little patch of blue flowers. No referee and he should have retreated gracefully!
He was beat.