Jenny Casler & Shawn Severance March 5, 2017 Raising Native Bees Pictures: - Leafcutter bee: Simple Treasures. http://simpletreasures101.blogspot.com/2014/01/creation-close-ups-leaf-cutter-bees.html. Last visited 3/6/2017. - Leafcutter bee home: Crown Bees. Healthy Bee Hotels. © 2016. http://crownbees.com/bee-hotels/. Last visited 3/6/2017. - Leaf Cutter Bee Nest: What’s That Bug? https://www.whatsthatbug.com/2006/06/04/leaf-cutting-bee-nest/ Last visited 3/6/2017. What do participants know about native bees vs. non-native bees (e.g., honeybees)? What do participants know about raising native bees? Jenny Casler & Shawn Severance March 5, 2017

Agenda Guided group discussion Hands-on: Check out demo materials and handouts Make your own bee house

What are “Hiveless Bees”? Solitary bees (makeup 90% of bee species; 10% are social) Native to North America Overwinter in cocoons Not: Aggressive (no queen to defend) Honey producers Pictures: - Source: Crown Bees. “Bees & Sustainability” Presentation. November 2016. Available at: http://crownbees.com/talk-teach-bees Notes: - Why did farmers begin to use honeybees instead of solitary bees? - How do honeybees live through the winter? Source: Crown Bees. “Bees & Sustainability” Presentation. November 2016. Available at: http://crownbees.com/talk-teach-bees

more pollination of other plants! Honey bees are efficient at gathering pollen Mason Bee Honey Bee Pictures: Honey bee: Cute Calendar. © 2017. https://www.cute-calendar.com/event/national-honey-bee-day/25974.html. Last visited 3/6/2017. Mason bee: Mason Bee Homes. © 2006 – 2010. http://www.masonbeehomes.com/index.php. Last visited 3/6/2017. Leafcutter bee: Aussie Bee. Australian Native Bee Research Centre © 1997-2016. http://www.aussiebee.com.au/leafcutter_bee.html. Last visited 3/6/2017. Other bees’ inefficiency = more pollination of other plants! Leafcutter Bee

Why Raise Hiveless Bees? Awesome pollinators Better cross-pollination of plants Method for collecting pollen Variety of plants they visit Increase orchard yields (~2.4X > honey bees) Indicators of sustainable natural areas Variety of plants Lack (or minimal use) of pesticides Provide more food for increasing human population Source: Crown Bees. “Bees & Sustainability” Presentation. November 2016. Available at: http://crownbees.com/talk-teach-bees

Why Raise Hiveless Bees? Source: Sidder, Aaron. Smithsonian.com. “New Map Highlights Bee Population Declines Across the US.” Feb. 23, 2017. Available at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-map-highlights-bee-population-declines-across-us-180962268/

Nesting Locations & Materials Existing holes in trees and similar structures Reeds Manmade materials (e.g., tubes and wooden trays) Not recommended: Drilled blocks or logs (due to pest build-up) Plastic straws (pollen won’t wick into the wood/paper; cocoons get moldy) Bamboo

Annual Process - Overview Choose how to over-winter your bees Hibernation Bees lay eggs Place tubes in mesh bag Bees emerge Spring Summer Fall Winter Seasons shown are rough estimates for timing. Activities may be started earlier.

Starting in Spring Place bee house under an awning with morning sun Ensure resources for the bees are nearby Source(s) of: Food (blooming plants, preferably native) without pesticides Water If mason bees: mud for building nest (e.g., dig a hole or buy mud) If leafcutter bees: leaves Tubes (1 for each mason bee, ½ for each leafcutter bee) If desired, order bees from www.crownbees.com - Consider InvitaBee

Protect Bees from Predators & Pests Bee houses are an attractive, unnatural buffet Place tubes in mesh bag and dry area w/ avg. temperature (e.g., garage or shed) Consider other approaches for deterring predators and pests, such as a ½” – ¾” hardware cloth Predators & pests include: Consider second generation of leafcutter bees per year, so don’t put tubes away too soon Pollen mites Rodents Wasps Birds Earwigs Squirrels

Inspect & Plan Consider: Harvesting your cocoons Check for pests Plan for quantity of bees that will be on-hand in spring Strategy for Over-Wintering Refrigerating for all or part of winter (e.g., warm days only) Sending tubes to Crown Bees for winter maintenance (“Bee BuyBack Program” when available)

Maintain Bee Health Continue to protect bees from pests by using mesh bag OR Consider placing bees in refrigerator to help with fluctuating temperatures Use a humidifier in the refrigerator to prevent dehydration Minimize refrigerating your bees along with fruits/veggies Cocoons can be cleaned with bleach-water if needed Look forward to “releasing” new bees in spring

Other Fun Facts How many types of bees live in the US? Where do hiveless bees sleep? Other fun facts? Pictures - Resonating Bodies. https://resonatingbodies.wordpress.com/community/pink-bee-condo/. Last visited 3/6/2017. - Completegarden’s Weblog. https://completegarden.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/whats-making-holes-in-the-leaves-leafcutter-bee/. Last visited 3/6/2017. Notes 4,000 native bee species in the US Are honey bees native? No. Brought over by European settlers. Can produce 2.4X more food than honeybees. Source: Crown Bees. “Bees & Sustainability” Presentation. November 2016. Available at: http://crownbees.com/talk-teach-bees Where do solitary bees sleep? Are holes cut out of leaves good or bad? Are there bees living in the Arctic? Are there bees that work overnight? What colors can bees be? Sizes and appearances of bees (e.g., similarities and differences from flies and wasps)

Some Resources Ordering bees and supplies and learning more: www.crownbees.com Tips for a healthy habitat: http://www.nwf.org/Garden-For-Wildlife/Certify.aspx, including: Plant native plants for food and shelter Provide sources of water for bees and butterflies too Eliminate (or minimize) use of harmful chemicals Learning more about native bees: Bee Basics: An Introduction to Our Native Bees. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelpr db5306468.pdf Picture: - Friends of the Earth. https://www.foe.co.uk/news/great-british-bee-count-great-start. Last visited 3/6/2017.

Take Aways What new information did you learn today? Why is it important to help bees? How can we help each other?