# Mason bees, should I or shouldn't I ?



## Kuro (Jun 18, 2015)

Besides fruit trees and berry shrubs, my mason bees forage on various herbaceous plants which bloom around the time apple trees do. In my climate (Zone 8 Pacific Northwest), spring-sown annuals bloom too late for them, but fall-sown mustards (_Brassica_ species) are very popular (not sure whether they can overwinter in Zone 5 though). Other Zone 5 weeds my mason bees like include bugleweed (_Ajuga reptans_, perennial) and silver dollar plant (_Lunaria annua_, biennial).


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## Wil-7 (Sep 4, 2021)

Kuro said:


> Besides fruit trees and berry shrubs, my mason bees forage on various herbaceous plants which bloom around the time apple trees do. In my climate (Zone 8 Pacific Northwest), spring-sown annuals bloom too late for them, but fall-sown mustards (_Brassica_ species) are very popular (not sure whether they can overwinter in Zone 5 though). Other Zone 5 weeds my mason bees like include bugleweed (_Ajuga reptans_, perennial) and silver dollar plant (_Lunaria annua_, biennial).


Thank you. That's a start. I am still in the learning phase of the solitary bees. I'll check out those plants and see if I can at least get them started in my zone.


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