Managing Wild Bees

Prior to the honey bee's introduction from Europe, America was home to approximately 4,000 native bee species, the majority of which nest underground or in wood cavities like hollow stems and beetle borer holes. Several of these wild bees can and do play an important role as crop pollinators. This book provides the basic information necessary to manage populations of solitary cavity-nesting leafcutter and mason bees. Various members of these species are effective pollinators of all major bee-pollinated crops. These bees are extremely gentle, and rarely sting, making them a safe alternative to honey bees for small farms and near urban areas. In addition, these bees can be maintained at a lower cost than honey bees, and they are not susceptible to the same pathogen issues that have devastated honey bees. While this book was originally developed for Wisconsin audiences, the principles are readily applicable to leafcutter and mason beekeeping worldwide.