Hi folks, just a tip for the early spring...

A common issue that I see with people getting started with mason bees is that they order some online and then find that the bees fail to thrive in their area.

Without going into too much detail, there are different species of bees that live in different parts of the country, each local population adapted to the local climate. Sometimes they thrive in new climates, sometimes not, but its' best to buy bees as close to home as possible.

This time of year on eBay I am seeing several sellers who are offering mason bees for sale -- some are on the east coast and some are on the west coast, so now is a great time to get some local bees.

Also check your local Craigslist "For Sale>Farm and Garden" section. That's where people in your city would be selling bee cocoons as well.

Winter or early spring is the time of year to buy them, because they can be shipped in cold weather while they are dormant.

Hope that's helpful!

Note on Canada/US transactions . . . it's illegal to ship bees across the border, but you can ship bee houses, so it's worth checking out Canadian bee suppliers to see i fyou like their house designs (or prices) better. Shipping is pretty reasonable.