Kids Archives
Bring Nature Close brings you a Kids Page. Every month Kids are introduced to an animal, bird, reptile, amphibian or insect. Plus a great project to Bring Nature Close to you and your children! Here is the Kids Page from last month if you missed it.
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Have Fun!
Let's Make Bee Boards
After you've read the information on Mason Bees, you know that they like small holes to make nests in. We can provide these nests and add to the pollination in the neighborhood! Bee boards hang on the outside of your house or barn where they won't be affected by rain or snow. The Mason Bees will fill up the holes with eggs and in the spring they will emerge to pollinate lots of flowers. Each year you and your neighbors will have more and more bees. This is good for the ecosystem!
This is a good project for you and Dad or you and Mom to tackle. Use power tools with care and always have adult supervision. Boards made for Mason Bees need to be made out of Fir or Pine. Cut your 2 x 6 to about 2 feet long. A size that is easy to handle. Fit the drill with a bit that is 1/4 to 3/8ths in width. Systematically drill holes into one side of the 2 x 6. You could draw lines on the board before you start drilling to give you guidelines.
After all the holes are drilled attach the brackets. Screw the brackets into the bee board first. Then screw the brackets on to the house or barn. Locate the bee board under the eve enough so it won't be affected by rain or snow.
After all the holes are drilled attach the brackets. Screw the brackets into the bee board first. Then screw the brackets on to the house or barn. Locate the bee board under the eve enough so it won't be affected by rain or snow.
Mason Bees are called that name because they make little compartments that are covered over with mud.
They are excellent spring pollinators. They are cultivated to improve the pollination of early spring fruit flowers. Mason bees are solitary bees. The bees emerge in spring, males first. Then the females. They mate and then the male dies. The females remain fertile for the rest of the summer. Females provision the "nest". The "nest" consists of a series of small tubes. These can be in plant stems or in wood with insect holes, anything with small holes. She will carry pollen and nectar to the tube until it is just the correct amount. Then she lays an egg on top of the mass. Then as the name implies she will mud up the compartment. Then she will start another compartment. The compartments are such that the females eggs are laid in the back of the nest and the male eggs are laid to the front of the nest. Once the whole tube is finished it is muded up and another nest is started.
In the summer the larva eats all the mass of pollen and nectar. Then it spins a cocoon and enters the pupa stage. The adult matures in winter but hibernates in the cell. The bees emerge in early spring to begin the cycle again.
Mason Bees do not produce beeswax or honey. There are no "worker" bees. They hardly ever sting. Mostly stinging happens when they are stepped on or they are being squished. This makes them safe for children.
Mason Bees are well adapted to cold places and survive where the temperatures get below 0 degrees c for long periods of time. They are prevalant in Canada and the northern states of the U.S.A.
Mason Bees are metallic green or blue or blackish. They are very hairy!
They are excellent spring pollinators. They are cultivated to improve the pollination of early spring fruit flowers. Mason bees are solitary bees. The bees emerge in spring, males first. Then the females. They mate and then the male dies. The females remain fertile for the rest of the summer. Females provision the "nest". The "nest" consists of a series of small tubes. These can be in plant stems or in wood with insect holes, anything with small holes. She will carry pollen and nectar to the tube until it is just the correct amount. Then she lays an egg on top of the mass. Then as the name implies she will mud up the compartment. Then she will start another compartment. The compartments are such that the females eggs are laid in the back of the nest and the male eggs are laid to the front of the nest. Once the whole tube is finished it is muded up and another nest is started.
In the summer the larva eats all the mass of pollen and nectar. Then it spins a cocoon and enters the pupa stage. The adult matures in winter but hibernates in the cell. The bees emerge in early spring to begin the cycle again.
Mason Bees do not produce beeswax or honey. There are no "worker" bees. They hardly ever sting. Mostly stinging happens when they are stepped on or they are being squished. This makes them safe for children.
Mason Bees are well adapted to cold places and survive where the temperatures get below 0 degrees c for long periods of time. They are prevalant in Canada and the northern states of the U.S.A.
Mason Bees are metallic green or blue or blackish. They are very hairy!
Mason Bees