Yakima County Master Gardeners: The Vital Role of Tunnel-Nesting Bees

In the orchards, gardens, and natural areas of the Yakima Valley, native pollinators play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and supporting agriculture. While managed hives of non-native honeybees are often used for commercial crops, it is the native pollinators, particularly tunnel-nesting bees like mason and leaf-cutter bees, that sustain the local ecosystem when the commercial hives move on.

The Unseen Heroes: Mason and Leaf-Cutter Bees

Mason bees, emerging with the apple blossoms and active until early June, and leaf-cutter bees, which take over in the summer, are part of the Megachilidae family. These solitary bees are incredibly efficient pollinators. For example, 250 to 500 female blue orchard mason bees can pollinate an acre of orchard, a task requiring a colony of 20,000 honeybees.

Mason bees are slightly smaller than honeybees, with a fuzzy hair-like covering and a dark, metallic blue or green color, often mistaken for black flies. Leaf-cutter bees are smaller still, with a light beige color and a fuzzy belly. Both species carry pollen on the underside of their abdomens rather than their legs.

Challenges and Conservation Efforts

Tunnel-nesting bees face numerous threats, including habitat loss, climate change, pesticides, diseases, and parasites. Providing a healthy and diverse habitat with continuous blooming flowers is essential for their survival. Additionally, gardeners can take proactive steps by building bee hotels designed to meet the specific nesting preferences of these bees.

Building and Maintaining a Bee Hotel

Creating a bee hotel involves drilling tunnels in preservative-free lumber, tree branches, or reed nesting tubes. The tunnel diameter and depth are critical; diameters from 7/32 to 3/8 inches and depths between 3 and 8 inches are ideal. Female bees lay male eggs near the entrance, so tunnel depth influences the sex ratio of the next generation.

To attract bees, the hotel should be placed 5 feet above the ground, facing southeast, within 30 feet of flowers, and near a water and mud source. Lightly charring the wood with a propane torch can also make the nests more attractive to bees.

Proper maintenance includes removing nests before the first fall frost and storing them in an unheated area. In spring, nests should be placed in an emergence box with a half-inch hole to allow adult bees to exit. Last year’s nests should be burned to prevent disease and parasite infestations.

A Commitment to Conservation

By building and maintaining bee hotels, gardeners can significantly support tunnel-nesting bee populations. These efforts not only aid in pollination but also contribute to the overall health of the ecosystem. Watching mature bees emerge and pollinate gardens and orchards is a rewarding experience that underscores the importance of conservation.

Tunnel-nesting bees, including mason and leaf-cutter bees, are essential native pollinators in the Yakima Valley. These bees, which do not produce honey or have venom, are highly effective at pollination, far surpassing honeybees in efficiency. They face threats from habitat loss, climate change, pesticides, diseases, and parasites. Creating suitable habitats and building bee hotels with appropriate tunnel sizes and depths can support their populations. Proper maintenance is crucial to prevent infestation by parasites and diseases. The article provides detailed instructions for constructing and maintaining bee hotels to encourage tunnel-nesting bees to thrive.

FAQs

What are tunnel-nesting bees? Tunnel-nesting bees, such as mason and leaf-cutter bees, are solitary bees that nest in tunnels rather than hives. They are crucial pollinators for gardens and natural areas.

Why are tunnel-nesting bees important? They are highly effective pollinators, with mason bees being 130 times more effective than honeybees. They help pollinate many crops and plants, supporting biodiversity.

How can gardeners help tunnel-nesting bees? Gardeners can provide diverse habitats with flowers blooming from early spring to late fall, avoid pesticides, and build and maintain bee hotels with appropriate tunnel sizes.

What are the key considerations for building a bee hotel? The hotel should use preservative-free lumber, with tunnels drilled to specific diameters and depths. It should be placed in a sunny, southeast-facing location, near flowers, water, and mud.

How should bee hotels be maintained? Remove and store nests before the first fall frost, and use an emergence box in spring. Burn last year’s nests to prevent disease and parasite infestations.

#PollinatorConservation
#BeeHotels
#NativePollinators
#SustainableGardening
#BiodiversitySupport

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering MagR and Cry2 gene expression

Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering MagR and Cry2 gene expression Dinotefuran is known to negatively affect honeybee ( Apis mellifera ) behavior, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The magnetoreceptor ( MagR , which responds to magnetic fields) and cryptochrome ( Cry2 , which is sensitive to light) genes are considered to play important roles in honey bees’ homing and localization behaviors. Our study found that dinotefuran, even without direct contact, can act like a magnet, significantly altering MagR expression in honeybees. This non-contact exposure reduced the bees’ homing rate. In further experiments, we exposed foragers to light and magnetic fields, the MagR gene responded to magnetic fields only in the presence of light, with Cry 2 playing a key switching role in the magnetic field receptor mechanism ( MagR–Cry2 ). Yeast two-hybrid and BiFc assays confirmed an interactio...

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis Earlier this year, midwives from 41 countries shared their experiences of working in communities affected by climate change through our survey, Midwives’ Experiences and Perspectives on Climate Change. Their voices shaped our new report, Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis , which highlights how midwives are already responding to the health impacts of climate disasters like floods, wildfires, and extreme heat—and why they must be included in climate action plans. What did we learn?Climate change is damaging community health: 75% of midwives reported that climate change is harming the communities they serve, with rising rates of preterm births, food insecurity, and restricted access to care during disasters like floods. Midwives are critical first responders: Midwives are often the first and only healthcare providers on the ground in crises, delivering care during wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. Midwives face signi...

Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor

Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor Newspaper distributor Pushparaja Shetty (45), who sustained severe injuries in a bee attack, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday at a hospital in Mangaluru. Pushparaja was attacked by a swarm of bees on Wednesday morning while walking at Kenjaru Taangadi under Bajpe town panchayat limits. He was immediately admitted to a hospital for treatment but could not survive the ordeal. Fondly known as ‘Boggu’ in the Porkodi area, Pushparaja was well-known for his dedication to delivering newspapers on foot to every household. He was admired for his generosity, as he often distributed sweets to schoolchildren on Independence Day using his own earnings and contributed part of his income to the betterment of society. Pushparaja was unmarried and is survived by three brothers and one sister.

“Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns

“Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns The World Beekeeping Awards will not grant a prize for honey next year due to the “inability” to thoroughly test honey for adulteration. The announcement comes amid the rise of honey fraud in the EU, where a 2023 investigation found that 46% of 147 honey samples tested were likely contaminated with low-cost plant syrups. Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations, organizes the event at its Congress, whose 49th edition will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in September 2025. The conference brings together beekeepers, scientists and other stakeholders. “We will celebrate honey in many ways at the Congress, but honey will no longer be a category, and thus, there will be no honey judging in the World Beekeeping Awards. The lessons learned from Canada 2019 and Chile 2023 were that adequate testing was impossible if we are to award winning honey at the Con...

Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific

Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific In an exciting development for environmentalists and beekeeping experts, researchers have discovered eight new species of masked bees in the Pacific Islands, shining a light on the rich biodiversity hidden within the forest canopy. This discovery underscores the critical role bees play in our ecosystems and the pressing need for conservation efforts to protect these vital pollinators. A New Frontier in Bee Research By exploring the forest canopy, scientists have opened a new frontier in bee research, revealing species that have adapted to life high above the ground. These discoveries are crucial for understanding the complex relationships between bees, flora, and the broader ecosystem. The new species of masked bees, characterized by their striking black bodies with yellow or white highlights, particularly on their faces, rely exclusively on the forest canopy for survival. The Importance of Bee Conservation...

Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee

Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee There are lots of opportunities to be as busy as a bee during these winter holidays. As we hustle toward the dawn of the New Year, it can be hard to notice that the natural world is actually suggesting something different for us right now. We’re past the solstice, but the winter still stretches ahead, the days are still short and the nights long. We’re being invited into a quieter, more inner-focused time. The ancient yogis were all about this inner focus. In India, for example, the Upanishads, the Sanskrit writings that accompanied the development of Hinduism — and alongside it, yoga — beginning around 800 B.C.E., went deeper than earlier texts had into philosophy and questions of being. With the goals of increased inner awareness and higher consciousness, yoga was at that time not yet as focused on the body or on asanas, as it now can tend to be. But the yogis did develop many practices to try to open the way to those goals. They discovered...

The Essential Role of Bees in Our Ecosystem and the Challenges They Face

The Essential Role of Bees in Our Ecosystem and the Challenges They Face Bees have been an integral part of our ecosystem and human agriculture for over four centuries, primarily utilized for their honey in the early days. Now, they are recognized more for their critical role in pollination, which directly impacts a vast majority of the food we consume. Mark Lilly, a prominent beekeeper, emphasizes that without bees' pollination efforts, a significant portion of our diet would be at risk. However, bees face numerous threats, including varroa mites and, in specific regions like West Virginia, black bears. These challenges necessitate concerted efforts for preservation and protection. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q1: Why are bees so important to the ecosystem? A1: Bees are crucial for pollinating plants, which is necessary for the production of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Without bees, a large portion of the food we eat would not be available. Q2: What are the main threats to...

The Growing Dilemma of Pet Burials in South Korea: Environmental and Legal Hurdles

The Growing Dilemma of Pet Burials in South Korea: Environmental and Legal Hurdles As the number of pets in South Korea steadily increases, pet owners face a growing dilemma due to the limited number of pet cemeteries across the country. Under the current legal framework, pet remains are classified as household waste, requiring specific disposal methods that are neither convenient nor easily accessible for all citizens. The imbalance between the rising pet population—over 5.52 million households with pets by the end of 2022—and the mere 70 registered pet cemeteries has led to significant challenges. This shortage is particularly evident in regions like Jeju Island, where pet owners must undergo arduous journeys to the mainland to ensure their pets receive proper burials. The root cause of this shortage lies in the strict regulations governing the establishment of pet cemeteries. These facilities, which must include crematoriums, face numerous restrictions, such as proximity to resident...

Climate Crisis Claims Glacier's Vital Climate Data Archive

Climate Crisis Claims Glacier's Vital Climate Data Archive A recent study published in Nature Geoscience reveals a distressing consequence of global warming: the irreversible loss of valuable climate data stored in alpine glaciers. The research, conducted by a team led by Margit Schwikowski from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), underscores the alarming rate at which glaciers are melting and highlights the implications for climate research. The study focuses on the Corbassière glacier at Grand Combin in Switzerland, where ice cores drilled in 2018 and 2020 were intended to serve as vital climate archives. However, comparing the two sets of ice cores reveals a grim reality—global warming has rendered the glacier unsuitable as a reliable climate archive. Glaciers, renowned as climate archives, encapsulate valuable information about past climatic conditions and atmospheric compositions. The fluctuating concentrations of trace substances in ice layers provide insights into historica...

German election: Climate and environment take a back seat

German election: Climate and environment take a back seat When the coalition government comprising the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) , Greens and neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) emerged after the last German federal election in the fall of 2021, then-incoming Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) did not object to being called the "climate chancellor." That was no surprise: the climate crisis had been a top issue during the election campaign. The new government made the fight against climate change a task for the Economy Ministry and appointed Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck from the Greens as its head. Three and a half years later, campaign speeches barely mention climate protection. The dominant issues are how to curb irregular immigration and how to boost Germany's sluggish economy. Skeptical view of renewable energy The head of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , Friedrich Merz ...

Small actions make a big difference engilsh dkbee.com

이 블로그 검색