1. Jenny Casler & Shawn Severance March 5, 2017
Raising Native Bees
Pictures:
- Leafcutter bee: Simple Treasures. Last visited 3/6/2017.
- Leafcutter bee home: Crown Bees. Healthy Bee Hotels. © Last visited 3/6/2017.
- Leaf Cutter Bee Nest: What’s That Bug? 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

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

3. 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 Available at:
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 Available at:

4. more pollination of other plants!
Honey bees are efficient at gathering pollen
Mason Bee
Honey Bee
Pictures:
Honey bee: Cute Calendar. © Last visited 3/6/2017.
Mason bee: Mason Bee Homes. © 2006 – Last visited 3/6/2017.
Leafcutter bee: Aussie Bee. Australian Native Bee Research Centre © Last visited 3/6/2017.
Other bees’ inefficiency =
more pollination of other plants!
Leafcutter Bee

5. 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 Available at:

6. Why Raise Hiveless Bees?
Source: Sidder, Aaron. Smithsonian.com. “New Map Highlights Bee Population Declines Across the US.” Feb. 23, Available at:

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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
- Consider InvitaBee

10. 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

11. 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)

12. 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

13. Other Fun Facts How many types of bees live in the US?
Where do hiveless bees sleep?
Other fun facts?
Pictures
- Resonating Bodies. Last visited 3/6/2017.
- Completegarden’s Weblog. 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 Available at:
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)

14. Some Resources
Ordering bees and supplies and learning more:
Tips for a healthy habitat: 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. db pdf
Picture:
- Friends of the Earth. Last visited 3/6/2017.

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