Not sure what I did wrong with those two images in post # 21. I'll try again.

 

That's one of the Blue Orchard Bees in the pic above. A little blurry but still visible in the center of the image.

Here's a shot of the tree a few steps back from it.

 

Yes, it is very nice when the Red Bud trees are in bloom again. Will start again very soon for us now :-). 


 

If you look close in this picture, you can see a different variety of solitary bee toward the center if the image. This is not a honey bee or yellow jacket. I know which one it is but can't think of the name right now.

All the "other" types of pollinating bees in my area, far out number the honey bees. Not because we have a shortage of honey bees, just so many of the others. Very cool. Can't wait to see them again this spring.

I plan to try to get a little video of them this year (would be nice to record that buzzing) - in addition to some better pics.

Bill - thank you for sharing those nice pictures. The mason bee in your second picture (post #26) looks very much like mine.

You're welcome Will.

Here are a couple nice links that include some info on attracting orchard bees to you property:

http://www.wingsinflight.com/gardbees.html


http://www.orchardbees.com/index.html

Here is a slow motion video of a male golden carpenter bee in my yard. Had never seen all gold bees until I moved to our house here...very cool...

Mason bees blocks will be filled by hanging untreated 4x4"wood blocks with 5/16th holes drilled ALMOST out the back. Place in areas where the bees can find pollen & nectar as soon as they emerge from the nest. Dandelions, Indian plum, Oregon Grape and Japonica are examples of what they are looking for when they emerge. They'll leave if they can't find food.  I saw my first bees March 14th. They
nest in odd places like the eye of my motion detector, plastic straws, under cedar shakes on the house and they crawl through the drain hole on my sliding window screen. Once a steady food supply is found, the bees FIND a place to lay their eggs. Their born-breed-lay eggs-die cycle is only a few months long.

I'd never seen Golden Carpenter bees. Nice video.

Charles. It's important to note that the shallow holes drilled into wood only 3 1/2 - 4" deep will produce mostly male bees. Deeper holes of about 5 1/2" deep are required to produce more females. A more dominant number of females is preferred since they are the ones laying the eggs. More eggs = more baby bees for next year :) . 

Why do they need the deeper holes to produce more females?  On one of the posts or sites I read we should also have mud available close by for the bees. 

Greenbud - that's because the females decide the sex of each egg. When laying eggs, they always lay female eggs in the deeper part of tube. The eggs laid towards the entrance of the tube are always male. This serves 2 purposes. The eggs towards the entrance are more vulnerable, birds may get them, so males are more expendable. Also, they want make sure males come out first, before females do.

Willwall, thanks for the additional information.  They are definitely interesting creatures.