# Mason Bees in San Diego????



## ThisBud4U

Hi all,
Simple question: are there any mason bees in the San Diego area? I've read that they need mud to build their nests, which they'd find in abundance in the NW states like Oregon and Washington due to the high rainfall, so I'm doubtful whether they'd thrive in southern California, but if they would, I'd like to start raising them, now that my boss has made me give away my honeybee hive. 
Any help much appreciated. I don't want to go through the time/expense of building mason bee nests only to find that it's too dry for them here.
Oh, one more thing--our farm is less than a mile from the coast, so it's actually quite cool and cloudy for much of the year, so masons might not find it too uncomfortable here, but there's the lack of mud availability for most of the year that concerns me.
Anyway, if anyone in this area, coastal San Diego, has seen mason bees (or better yet, raises them), I'd be so grateful to hear from you. 

Thanks,
ThisBud4U


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## BEES4U

There are two kinds of Mason bees that are available.
The Blue orchard Bee, BOBs and one adapted to Calif.
I tried both of them and had one bee emerge form 50 tubes that were ocer wintered in my fridge at 40 degrees F.
Some people make mud available at the nesting site.
Good Luck,
Zip Code 93010
Ernie


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## ThisBud4U

Thanks for your reply. So, there is a mason bee that's adapted to California. That's great news. Does anyone know if there are any commercial sites that offer these particular masons for sale?


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## BEES4U

Here's one source:
Unfortunately, they are out of stock.
http://www.knoxcellars.com/Merchant..._Code=KCNP&Product_Code=OCBT&Category_Code=BO

You might consider putting out some tubes to see if your local ones might use them this season.

Supplier list:
http://www.pollinatorparadise.com/solitary_bees/supply.htm

Ernie


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