All bees are aggressive! All bees give honey! All bees cause anaphylactic shock! Honey Bees are great pollinators!

20,000 bee species in the world 90% are solitary bees, 10% are social Only 7 species are honey bees Social bees need to defend queen, food, eggs Solitary can’t defend and do all work Solitary can sting, but only if life threatened Solitary Social

Out of all US and Canada, NO native bees make honey Why honey? Needed to overwinter the hive Native species gather/store pollen mixed with nectar for young

Honey bee history Egyptians gathered honey from them Pilgrims introduced the “white man’s fly” in 1600’s Managed hives stayed on farms through 1940’s

World War 2 ends, not all returning sons wanted to farm As farms are sold/combined, monoculture began Chemicals from the war were introduced to farms Soil became unhealthy & chemicals pushed out native bees Large acreage now needed artificial pollination The only managed bee was the honey-making bee which became the defacto pollinator. The 4,000 native bees were ignored

Well studied and published by worldwide researchers Mason Bees gather pollen differently Work in colder and windier environments Nest in holes that can be relocated In many tree varieties, produce more fruit Honey bees Mason bees

I have never had so many cherries.....and the clusters are huge. I to remove about 200 peaches and 250 plums because I simply had too much fruit. the weight of the fruit would have broken the branches. And too much fruit results in smaller peaches and plums. Kenneth Corkum, WA

This is what our plum tree looks like after two pickings. Our bees hatched slowly this year, but seemed to live up to 8 weeks in some cases. Pretty good harvest for this fall. They even lived through the first blackberry bloom. Our Asian pear trees have been thinned twice and still have too many pears. ~ Gary and Billie Bevers

After placing mason bees on his cherry farm in Omak, WA, Mr. Freese gained an additional yield of more than 6 tons of cherries/acre. He netted over $100,000 from these bees

Solitary bee that nests in existing holes Emerge in spring from cocoons Mate, find their own hole Begin gathering pollen/nectar and lay eggs Live for about 6 weeks Eggs are next year’s bees Overwinter as adult bees

Solitary bee that nests in existing holes Emerge in summer from leafy cocoons Mate, find their own hole Gather pollen/nectar and lay eggs Live for about 6 weeks Eggs are next year’s bees Overwinter as pupa

A “house” keeps nesting holes dry On a SE morning sun wall About head high & non-moving Shelter for Nest Tubes/Reeds

Reeds EasyTear Tubes Inserts &Tubes Wood trays Drilled wood Hole/straw/reed ~5/16” and ~6” long. Other holes in same area. Each female, if she chooses to nest, fills about two holes in her lifetime. No plastic No bamboo

If you can’t open holes up, they become mason bee cemeteries Holes made of plastic or wrapped in plastic can create moldy cocoons Bees should be acclimated to your temperatures

Harvesting removes pests Easy to do ~ (Be tips!) Pests build up over time Helps plan your bee needs for next season Pollen Mites!

Keep some cocoons, share some Bee BuyBack program Storing Cocoons Overwinter your cocoons in the refrigerator Bees are healthier in steady colder temps Frost free refrigerators dehydrate; kill mason bees Use a HumidiBee for hydration How to release bees in spring?

You are in charge of when to release them! Wait for blossoms! Place cocoons behind or on top of nesting holes A small cup or open candy box holds cocoons easily Trick to extend pollination Place cocoons out in waves 1/3 when first blossoms appear Wait two weeks, then next 1/3, Then last 1/3 out after two more weeks Do not hold bees past May 1st

Correct holes matter Correct mud & leaves matter Avoid toxins that kill or smell Crownbees.com is full of information Monthly Be great tips

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Recent study from Minneapolis Entomology convention Right bee on right crop can produce 2.4x more yield Need more “pollinating” bees to add more food Bee BuyBack program Buy back cocoons in fall Sell online, nurseries, orchards Teaching sustainable practices Less lawn Live soil Grow food Less toxic chemicals More natives/naturalized plants Raise bees

You are the grass roots of sustainability Learn about a balanced yard No pests, no predators. Yards are NOT your kitchen counter Expansive lawns require high water, chemicals, time (clover is OK!) Grow native or heirloom flowers in clumps Teach neighbors, family, friends they can raise gentle solitary bees

We teach and remind through our monthly Be (Sign up on our website!) Developing videos for you We do the research and teach you and your farmers You’re the customer, we care about your success

Honey bees are awesome honey-making bees Solitary bees are better pollinators and are gentle Be wary of poor products Sign up for Be Understand the Crown Bees mission with our food supply Spread the word about sustainability