WSU CAHNRS and WSU Extension

Pestsense

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Pest
(factsheet)
Pest NameDescription 
Orchard mason beesOrchard mason beesOrchard mason bees are black to metallic blue bees and are slightly smaller than a honeybee. They are often mistaken for house flies, because they may enter houses and be found in sunny windows in the early spring. However, you can easily distinguish them from flies because orchard mason bees have four wings while flies have only two wings. Orchard mason bees are solitary bees, earning their name “mason” by using mud to make their nests. They do not excavate nesting cavities in wood; rather, they use existing holes left by other insects, nails, between or beneath shingles, etc. They are not structural pests, though they may be seen examining siding or shingle roofs in search of suitable nesting sites. Orchard mason bees are short-lived, emerging from their nesting holes when temperatures are favorable usually around mid-March through May. The females collect pollen and nectar, lay a single egg in each cell in the nest hole, and then die. The next generation overwinters in the nest holes till they emerge the following spring. Orchard mason bees are active at lower temperatures than honeybees, making them especially important for pollination of early spring-blooming fruits and flowers. These are very gentle bees, rarely stinging unless handled roughly or trapped under clothing and pinched. The sting is reported to be very mild.