Encourage mason bees by creating a garden that includes plants that bloom during their excursions in March to mid- or late May: Crabapples, redbud, flowering currant, elderberry, huckleberry ...

Homeowners can attract beneficial mason bees by constructing nesting boxes, often as simple as a group of hollow stems tied in a bundle and placed near flowering plants.

In April and May, mason bees pollinate early fruits, berries and flowering plants. A mason bee packs her nests with mud instead of leaves, in slightly bigger holes.

Mason bees love plants in the Rosaceae family which include most of our fruit plants. Just a handful of mason bees can pollinate an entire large apple tree in full bloom.

Bottom line: We need the bees.If you grow vegetables, berry bushes or fruit trees (or all of the above) then you already understand the importance of successful pollination. Flowers need to be ...

Rent Mason Bees’ Mason bee kits ($60) include a Mason bee house, nesting block, bag of clay, pollinator flower seeds, and 50 to 60 Mason bee cocoons sent in spring.

Mason bees and leafcutters are more messy pollen gatherers. They land less delicately on flowers, spreading pollen everywhere.

It’s in the best interest of gardeners, farmers and everyone to support Mason bees. Here are three things they need to flourish — and give your garden a boost.

Parkview's wide variety of bees are staying busy into August as more native plants bloom. The duo initially planned to build a house just for native mason bees. The project morphed into a pollinator ...