It’s been a while since I post – part gathering more materials, part revamping my content, part busy with the day job. I also was focussed on uploading a number of videos on Youtube where I am beginning to provide a significant amount of content for those that are curious, and making friends being Monsieur solitarybee on twitter.
I have not discovered any leaf-cutter bees in my little plot of green, so bearing in mind my mason bees have finished their work for the year, the only solitary bees that I have recently identified flying around are the one or two Carpenter bees that enjoy the wysteria flowers and occasionally the lavender plants.
So in respect of moving my mason bee expansion project forward, I have been drilling some of my own wood blocks (that I can insert my paper tubes into), creating a new bee observation box, and excitedly counting the cocoons both in the plastic tubes (c.40), the home-made brown paper tubes (215) and the hollow plant stems (85+ – I can’t risk opening up the last 8 stems). When you consider that I started the 2009 season with just around a hundred cocoons, the idea of providing and testing new solitary bee tunnel habitats has been a very successful one. Effectively it has been a very successful year and proves that given enough opportunities, these bees will happily increase in their numbers.
Hi. I’m a “solitary bee” addict… there I’ve said it! I feel better now… I got into solitary bees a couple of years ago when I noticed some Andrena labiata (Girdled mining bees) in the garden (didn’t know what they were at the time, but found out later from a now friend at the Bees, Wasps and Ants recording society BWARS for short – see their website for loads of info if you haven’t seen it). I think I’ve recorded about 8 different solitary bees in my 1/4 acre garden this year… and hope to find more next year. I haven’t tried the bee tubes yet – but I have now drilled some logs and cleared an area of ground and put down sand for the burrowers in the spring! Would be great to keep in contact. Loads of pics of my bees on my flickr account http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturewatched/sets/72157621991853155/ (and a few at my website/blog – along with other honeybees, bumbles, wasps etc). Cheers! Jane
PS I’ve also added you to Twitter… I’m @jvadams
Hi Jane, sorry about the time I have taken to reply – as you may have noted by my posts on Twitter, I have been a bit in cocoon phase myself.
Have looked at your great detailed photos and your blog, and I am very impressed with your activities. I think I could learn a lot from you.
Yes in my surfing I saw BWARS (http://www.bwars.com/JoinBWARS.htm), but I hadn’t studied it too closely until now, so I have downloaded their form try and will try and become a member if they let expats in.
Yes it will be great to stay in touch – I will spend a bit more time on your blog and certainly I would like to hear more about your solitary bee experiences.
Best regards, Paul.
The videos of the cleaning process was very interesting and really got me fired up about getting more houses up and trying to manage a home for these wonderful bees. Thank you.