Through our backyard rental program, we are able to repopulate local mason bees as well as propagate bees in order to offer their pollination services to local Pacific Northwest Farms. Many people are familiar with Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) that is affecting the honey bee. Through the growth of our bee population we can offer farmers an alternative native pollinator to alleviate some of the stressor on our non-native honey bee populations. Due to their highly efficient nature, it only takes 400-600 mason bees to pollinate an acre of crops in contrast to about 40,000 honey bees. In turn, famers are willing to alter their practices to become more sustainable and supportive of needs of wild bees by growing hedgerow crops and using fewer and safer chemicals.
Watch this video made by one of the organic almond farms we partner with in central California. Some of the bees you grew in your backyards last year ended up on this organic farm helping to produce almonds that will be found in our grocery stores.
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