20 Native Bees for pollination

[alpha6]

Saw this add on Craigs list for "native bees" better then honey bees. And you get a whopping 20 of them!!

I have a few Native bees (Blue Orchard Bee/Mason Bee) available for fruit tree pollination. These are better than honey bees at pollinating and are usually used by commercial orchard owners. Because I have only a few left this season, I am selling them in packages of 20 bees for $40.00. This is sufficient to pollinate most small backyard orchards of up to 10-20 trees. I will deliver or you can pick up. I will also provide a nest box which will keep them in your area. I will provide information about the bees and their care and I will remove the bees at the end of flowering so you can safely spray your trees. I am also available for consultation on the use of Native Bees as Pollinators in commercial or home gardens. Native bees are not as aggresive as honey bees.

I did find this out about Blue Orchard Bees - "Successful pollination using blue orchard bees does not require a large population of bees. About 250 to 300 female bees per acre are recommended if there are no other bees present."

Interesting...wonder how they breed them. Oh and it appears that 20 may not get the job done...buyer beware.

[beemandan]

Mason bees are very efficient pollinators. They are solitary so a single mated female builds and provisions her nest in an existing hole in wood, often old beetle tunnels. Making an artificial nest is very simple.
The fellow who ran the ad may really be earning his money. He delivers the bee nest and then returns and removes it. See how much a plumber will charge for two trips.