Video of Mason bees early on in the season
I put together some macro and general video of the solitary bees exploring their spawning area. We see one feed on some moisture on a wood chip. And some others exploring a chair, that has one of my bee homes sitting on it. Mostly males in this video, though the macro video in the beginning is a female. She was quite busy drinking up the water on the mulch before it all evaporated. With the heat on the way they need all the water they can get, luckily in the South it rains alot.
The little bee searched around for more wet wood to feed on, I tried leaving water out for them but seems they only want to drink from things that got rained on.
The long tongue of the bee can be seen in the video lapping up the water build up on the wood chips.
It would roam around as I tried to follow it with my macro lens, quite fast but I kept up. My focus had some troubles getting a lock on the bee though.
The bee did not seem to mind me there, just watching it as it drank the water.
A male can be seen by my Japanese Ariela plants, its little white face can be seen which tells me its a male. They emerge first and wait for the females to show up and then they mate with them.
For whatever reason, the male Mason bees were quite curious about the chair the bee home was sitting on. Maybe they were attracted to the grease or something. But seems this was the males favorite hang out spot.
I placed the chair and bee home as close to the sunlight as possible. And within a few days they started exploring it. Seems they always go for this home first and then move onto the bee cubbies. Maybe next year I will try leaving the home back away and see if they will still take to it. Its kind of a pain wheeling it back and forth as the rains come in and leave.
More updates coming soon on the Mason bees!
Oh interesante. La vida de las abejas
hehe yeah their lives are quite fascinating.
Great images and video, @solominer. Bees are so fascinating. What about using a retractable cover for the bee home so you don't have to move it when it rains? Something like one of those sun umbrellas for a patio. There are heavy duty portable stands that you can set anywhere.
Thanks very much, they sure are.. I love just watching them and try to better understand how they function. During the spring we get some sideways rain, so a cover probably would still get water in it. I find myself just wheeling it back on the chair when it rains and is windy.. The bee cubbies are far back under the deck so they are well protected.
thanks for the tip though.
Cool shots. I can look out of my study window to see the bees buzzing around our bug hotel. They are definitely interested. I will put some water out in case it helps them.
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Thanks much, oh cool! glad they are interested in your bug hotel!!
I tried putting water out for them but seems they only want to drink off objects that are wet like wood chips.. at least mine are like that.
I was just reading up on this. Seems they may find water by smell, so clean water may not be so attractive. Chlorine may attract them, which is why they end up in swimming pools. Seems that once they know where it is they will come back anyway. I will experiment.
Such a cool long tongue!
Once I let one lick some honey of my fingers. Barely can feel it :)
Hah right? I can only see their tounge when doing macro stuff. hehe... I want to try that one day.
Very awesome. The bees are coming back.
hah yep they come back every year.
Some years the media tells us that they have not returned.... and I go to my Apple tree and I see they are all there. Making honey. It’s hilarious. The FUD
Oh boy!! Love these images...
hah glad you liked them Pri
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