A friend of mine just found this thread and alerted me to it.
Not all "mason bee purveyors" are run the same way. My company, Crown Bees, is an ethical company built to share only exact science and observations. Yes, we are a company that is supposed to bring in a profit, so we do sell bees, nesting material, houses, etc. HOWEVER, our purpose is to help people learn to raise mason bees successfully so that they can share their excess bees with friends/families.
There is more than one bee in the world. The honey bee is a wonderful and vital pollinator. Because they are social (the hive is active year round) and easily transported, they are an obvious choice for crops/orchards needing pollination. The honey bee is also going through some pretty wicked challenges right now. Mites, pesticides, CCD, virus, etc. Some key chemicals to combat mites are being pulled from the shelves... it's not a pretty world for the honey bee or their owners.
Solitary bees, though limited in availability, limited to a small flight radius, and don't provide honey, are excellent pollinators. Crown Bees is teaming with the science communities to help the backyard gardeners learn more about native solitary bees around them. There are 130+ species in north america. The spring bees (blue orchard and hornfaced) are excellent for orchards. The aglaia, (in Oregon & California) are excellent for berries. The leafcutters are excellent for crops and gardens. The californica is useless for most food crops unless you're a daisy seed grower. Each bee has their purpose and presence in our pollination needs.
I welcome all opinions, but do get frustrated that there's only one bee in the world. Open your eyes to your yard. If you don't have bees buzzing, then add more pollen/nectar sources. Learn to identify more than just the bumble or honey bees.
Big picture... from the scientists that i collaborate with, orchards in about 5 years may not have all of the hives they need to pollinate. Thus, a hundred acre orchard might only have 60 hives instead of 100. Solitary bees will have to fill in that gap. I'm not saying they're superior, I'm saying they will be necessary. Our goal is to help the backyard gardeners be so successful that their excess bees will be rounded up and used in regional orchards. The excess bees of Chicago & Detroit will head towards Wisconsin orchards. It's that serious.
I hope this helps you understand that not all companies are built the same. Ethics are important. Your success is equally important. The food chain is a complex pollination process that MUST have alternative solutions. I'm working on Plan Bee right now.