The Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District is partnering with Rent Mason Bees to help pollinate plants within our parks to help create a healthier ecosystem. We are releasing over 6,400 mason bees near our historical orchards in Williams Olson Park, Blakely Harbor Meadow, Hilltop Meadow, and Moritani Nature Preserve to help revive and strengthen our orchards and surrounding habitat.
About Mason Bees: Blue Orchard Mason Bees DO NOT STING and are native to the Pacific Northwest. They are super pollinators and are vital to our food production and ecosystem. They belly-flop onto flowers and collect pollen all over their bodies, which enables them to pollinate 95% of the flowers they land on, and they can visit up to 2,000 blossoms a day.
Solitary Bee Facts:
- Solitary bees live alone and do not have a hive. They find their own nest, gather their own food, and lay their own eggs.
- They are non-aggressive and DO NOT STING.
- Mason bees lay around 15 eggs a year, compared to honeybees that lay 2,000 eggs a day.
- Similar to a butterfly, the larva spins a cocoon, hibernates over winter, then emerges as an adult bee.
To learn how you can help, rent your own solitary bees, or learn more about our partnering company, visit Rent Mason Bees’ website here
Source: Bainbridge Island Parks & Rec Website “3/22/21 — Mason Bees Released to Strengthen Ecosystem” https://biparks.org/
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