Blue orchard Mason Bee Osmia lignaria propinqua Family Megachilidae DISTINGUISHING FEATURES 7PMKLXP]WQEPPIVXLERELSRI]FII 7LMR]HEVOFPYIGSPSV *IQEPIMWPEVKIVXLERXLIQEPIW *IQEPIWLEZILEMVWSRXLIMVYRHIVWMHIXSGEVV]TSPPIR *IQEPIW´ERXIRREIEVIWLSVXERHXLMGOQEPIW´EVIPSRKIV 1EPIWLEZIPMKLXGSPSVIHJEGMEPLEMVW[LMGLETTIEVEWE±[LMXIJEGI² CHARACTERISTICS Non-aggressive *IQEPIWLEZIEWXMRKIVFYX[MPPRSXWXMRKYRPIWWWUYII^IHQEPIWHSRSXLEZIE stinger at all Solitary 1EWSRFIIWHSR´XPMZIMRLMZIWFYXMRRIWXMRKXYFIWMRGPSWITVS\MQMX]XSSRI another Non-destructive 8LI]HSRSXI\GEZEXILSPIWFYXWIEVGLSYXQERQEHIRIWXMRKFS\IWXYFIWSV any 5/16” diameter hole that is naturally occuring Heavy pollinators 1EWSRFIIWGSPPIGXTSPPIRJVSQXLIRIEVIWXWSYVGIVIKEVHPIWWSJTPERXWTIGMIW SVJEQMP] 4SPPIRMWGEVVMIHMRWGSTE VS[WSJWXMJJLEMVWSRXLIYRHIVWMHISJXLIMVFSH] 0ERHMRK HMVIGXP] SR XLI ¾S[IV WXMKQEW XLI VITVSHYGXMZI WXVYGXYVI SJ XLI FPSWWSQQEOIWQEWSRFIIWQSVIIJ½GMIRXTSPPMREXSVWXLIRLSRI]FIIW[LS PERHSRXLITIXEPWSJ¾S[IVW 8LI]LEZIELMKLFPSSQZMWMXEXMSRVEXI)EGLJIQEPIMWGETEFPISJZMWMXMRKSZIV ¾S[IVWHYVMRKLIVPMJIXMQI Healthy 6IWMWXERXXSTEVEWMXIWERHHMWIEWIWTVSZMHIHXLI]LEZIGPIERLSYWMRK Cold tolerant 1EWSRFIIWEVIEGXMZIEFSZI*VIXYVRMRKXSXLIMVRIWXWMXIWEXRMKLXERH during cold snaps )QIVKIRGIGSMRGMHIW[MXLXLIHIZIPSTQIRXSJIEVP]FPSSQMRKTPERXWERHQSWX JVYMXXVIIWMRGPYHMRKETTPIWTIEVWERHWXSRIJVYMXW Mason bees remain active during cloudy or rainy weather LIFE CYCLE Spring &IIW IQIVKI [LIR XIQTIVEXYVIW VIEGL ETTVS\MQEXIP] * JSV ½ZI GSRWIGYXMZI HE]W 8LMW RSVQEPP] GSVVIWTSRHW[MXLXLIW[IPPMRKSJ¾S[IVFYHWSRJVYMXXVIIW-RXLI4EGM½G2SVXL[IWXXLMWMWYWYEPP]IEVP] March. 1EPIFIIWIQIVKI½VWXERH[EMXRIEVXLILSPIIRXVERGIWJSVXLIJIQEPIWXSETTIEV8LMWQE]XEOIYTXSX[S [IIOW8LI]QEXIEPQSWXMQQIHMEXIP]YTSRJIQEPIW´IQIVKIRGI8LIQEPIWWTIRHXLMW[EMXMRKERHQEXMRK XMQIJSVEKMRKJSVJSSHERHXLIRXLIMVQMWWMSREGGSQTPMWLIHXLI]HMI Late spring Female bees stay busy collecting pollen and nectar. In each nest hole, she regurgitates the nectar and places the pollen on it, repeating this procedure 15 to 20 times until she has collected enough to sustain a new PEVZE7LIPSGEXIWXLIGIPPWLIMW½PPMRKF]QEVOMRKMX[MXLLIVTEVXMGYPEVTLIVSQSRI8LIJIQEPIXLIRPE]W ERIKKSRXLIXSTSJXLIQM\XYVIFEGOWSYXSJXLILSPIEFMXETTPMIWEXLMRQYH[EPPERHFIKMRWXLIRI\X GIPP)KKWPEMHMRXLIVIEV SJERIWXLSPIFIGSQIJIQEPIFIIW8LIJSV[EVHGSQTEVXQIRXWGSRXEMRXLI QEPIW;LIREWM\MRGLRIWXWXVE[MW½PPIHLSPHMRKEFSYXIMKLXGIPPWXLIEHYPXFIIETTPMIWEXLMGOPE]IVSJ QYHEPQSWX²XLMGOXSXLIIRXVERGIGIPPXSTVSXIGXEKEMRWXMRZEHIVW8LIEHYPXJIQEPIOsmia lignaria XLIRKSIWSRXSXLIRI\XWXVE[ERHVITIEXWXLIWEQITVSGIWW7LI[MPPPMZIJVSQJSYVXSIMKLX[IIOWPE]MRK FIX[IIRSRIERHX[SIKKWIEGLHE]8LIPEVZEILEXGLJVSQXLIMVIKKWMREJI[HE]W Summer During the summer the larvae consume the stored nectar and pollen, spin cocoons, pupate, and remain in XLIMVGSGSSRWEWEHYPX1EWSRFIIWYRXMPMXMWXMQIXSIQIVKIMRXLIIEVP]WTVMRK8LMWMWXLIWIEWSRXSEZSMH QSZMRKRIWXMRKFS\IWEWHMWXYVFIHIKKWSVPEVZEIQMKLXRSXWYVZMZIFIMRKNSWXPIH Fall/Winter 1EWSRFIIWVIQEMRHSVQERXXLVSYKLSYXXLI[MRXIV-RPEXI3GXSFIVIEVP]2SZIQFIVQSFMPIFS\IWGER FIWEJIP]QSZIHXSEWLIPXIVIHEVIE[MXLEXIQTIVEXYVIVERKMRKFIX[IIRERH*-RXLIIEVP]WTVMRK FS\IWWLSYPHFIQSZIHSYXWMHIERHLYRKSREWSYXLJEGMRK[EPP[MXLERSZIVLERKXSTVSXIGXXLIQEKEMRWX rain and hot sun. REQUIREMENTS FOR ATTRACTING MASON BEES ²LSPIWHVMPPIHMRER][SSH I\GITXGIHEVSVTVIWWYVIXVIEXIH QERYJEGXYVIHRIWXMRKWXVE[WSV previously used holes 1YHWSYVGIJSVGIPP[EPPW )EVP]FPSSQMRKJVYMXXVIIW TIEGLGLIVV])YVSTIERTPYQTIEVUYMRGIERHETTPI *PS[IVMRKTPERXWIWTIGMEPP]XLSWIXLEXEVIFPYITYVTPISV]IPPS[ERHXLEXFPSSQHYVMRKXLIIRXMVI PMJIWTERSJXLI1EWSRFIIWTEVXMGYPEVP]4MIVMWNETSRMGE *PS[IVWWLSYPHFIWMRKPIVEXLIVXLERHSYFPI REASONS FOR NON-EMERGENCE ,SYWMRKEFWSVFIHQSMWXYVI 1SZIHFS\XSSIEVP]IKKWSVPEVZEIFIGEQIHMWPSHKIHJVSQXLIJSSHWYTTP] ;MRXIVWXSVEKIXIQTIVEXYVIFIPS[* 7IZIVIMRJIWXEXMSRF]QMXIWIWTIGMEPP]MRSPHRIWXMRKLSPIW 3ZIVLIEXMRKMRWYQQIV Compiled by Jane Henry for the Home Orchard Society; July, 2005 www.homeorchardsociety.org [email protected] 3TIR]IEVVSYRHJVSQTQSR8YIWHE]WERH7EXYVHE]W ,SQI3VGLEVH7SGMIX] 8YI7EX%1¯414EGM½G8MQI 43&S\3VIKSR'MX]36 1EWSRFIIWERHRIWXMRKWYTTPMIWEZEMPEFPIJSVTYVGLEWI ARBORETUM.