Gardeners know that it is important to attract beneficial insects as pollinators. One pollinator native to our region is the hard-working blue orchard mason bee (Osmia lignaria). They are bluish black ...

Bees need us and we need them. In your yard, plant a succession of spring, summer and fall flowering plants so bees have a continual source of nectar. In return, they help pollinate plants in our home ...

MASON BEES ARE SMALL. They don’t look like what we think a bee should look like and in fact more closely resemble a fly, although some are an attractive metallic greenish-blue. While they might live ...

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND – Thyra McKelvie holds a blue box laden with small cocoons and tiny, sluggish blue orchard mason bees waking up from their time in refrigeration. They're moving slowly now, but soon ...

Mason bees are “adorable little bees gaining popularity with gardeners and farmers because of how easy they are to care for and their incredible pollination skills,” she says. “Before honeybees were ...

We’ve gotten through the holiday season and I’m beginning to hear people talk about spring. While the warmer weather is still a ways off, it is time to think about installing nesting boxes for some of ...

If you’re like many home gardeners, you may have added fruit trees to your garden in the past two years. Maybe a peach or an apricot, or even a few citrus or dwarf avocado. Maybe you’re more into ...

Honey bee populations are again declining, threatening crops. NPR's Scott Simon talks to Dave Hunter, who raises the unsung hero of the orchard (and champion pollinator), the Mason bee. KUOW is ...