Article provided by our student correspondent, Nicholas N.
The May long weekend is when it is recommended to put the Mason bees outside. You can find some interesting facts about these gentle bees on our page ‘Mason Bees’ at ournewbrighton.ca/projects&events and of course by a simple search on the internet.
Did you know that Calgary is a bee city? This means that our city has preserved natural areas for bees to live in. We only have 22 bee cities in Canada with over 20,000 species. One species you can keep in your backyard is the Mason bee, they are great to have because they are three times more active than honeybees. They are also highly unlikely to sting, which makes them great if you have kids that want to look inside the nesting tubes. These bees have a range of about 100 meters, which means they benefit you and your close neighbours the most. Mason bees are relatively easy to take care of too! All you need is half an hour to set up the house, water, and clay/mud. You can find all these supplies online from Canadian producers. Two or three Mason bees can pollinate a full-size apple tree. If you see people not getting rid of dandelions don’t be rude, thank them instead. Bees love eating dandelions, they are a vital source of food and pollen for many types of bees, birds, and beetles. So, try leaving your weeds in your yard to help these hard-working insects survive.
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