introduction to the red mason bee
TRANSCRIPT
Latin name = Osmia rufa
An introductionRed Mason Bee
Low-maintenance home for Red Mason bees
An introductionRed Mason Bee
Honey bees and bumble bees
In the UK
Honey bee species 1
Bumble bee species 6
Total bee species >250
Characteristics common to Red Mason bees, honey bees and bumble bees
Relationship with flowering plants
ATTRACT by means of colour and scent
REWARD by providing nectar
BENEFIT from cross-pollination
The plants
Characteristics common to Red Mason bees, honey bees and bumble bees
Relationship with flowering plants
NECTAR containing carbohydrates and water
POLLEN containing protein
The bees collect
Characteristics common to Red Mason bees, honey bees and bumble bees
Adaptation
All bees haveExcellent eyesight
Keen sense of smell
Good navigational skills
Characteristics common to Red Mason bees, honey bees and bumble bees
Gender Differences
Males Compete for the chance of passing on their DNA by fertilising one or more females.
Females Do everything else!
Characteristics common to Red Mason bees, honey bees and bumble bees
Gender Differences
Males Compete for the chance of passing on their DNA by fertilising one or more females.
Females Lay eggsForage for foodRear the next generationMaintain and protect the colony
Differences between Red Mason bees, honey bees and bumble bees
Colony size
Honey bee Social >10,000
Bumble bee Social 30 to 400
Red Mason bee Solitary 1
Differences between Red Mason bees, honey bees and bumble bees
Division of Labour
Honey bee SocialOne queen, many
workers
Bumble bee SocialOne queen, many
workers
Red Mason bee
Solitary Combined rôle
Differences between Red Mason bees, honey bees and bumble bees
Physical Appearance
Honey bee Medium Yellow/black
Bumble bee Large Yellow/black
Red Mason bee
Small Ginger/black
Hatch and matchLife cycle (Part 1)
When the new generation emerges in late March/early April, they
Then the males die.
Practice navigationLocate foodMate
Home buildingLife cycle (Part 2)
Each fertilised female
Chooses an individual nest siteCleans the nestCollects claySeals the inner end of the nestCollects food (10 to 15 foraging trips)
A digressionPollination (Part 1)
The Red Mason femaleflies at temperatures below which the honey bee is grounded.
visits more flowers per minute than the honey bee (at the same temperature).
is more promiscuous in terms of the number of trees visited per foraging trip than the worker honey bee.
C. O’Toole
A digressionPollination (Part 2)
The Red Mason femaledoes not store honey in the nest: she is entirely pollen driven and uses nectar only as an energy source to satisfy immediate needs. Unlike the honey bee, she always scrabbles around for pollen when visiting fruit blossoms.
is not as efficient as the honey bee in grooming herself. When visiting flowers, she is much more heavily dusted with pollen, increasing the chances of pollination.
C. O’Toole
A digressionPollination (Part 3)
The Red Mason femalehas her pollen collecting apparatus situated on the underside of her abdomen rather than on the hind leg. This increases the chance of pollen coming into direct contact with receptive stigmas of flowers.
is at the peak of her activity during the flowering of all the major orchard fruits.
C. O’Toole
Home buildingLife cycle (Part 2)
The fertilised female
Chooses an individual nest siteCleans the nestCollects mudSeals the inner end of the nestCollects food (10 to 15 foraging trips)
Home buildingLife cycle (Part 2A)
The fertilised female
Seals the inner end of the nestCollects food (10 to 15 foraging trips)
Home buildingLife cycle (Part 2A)
The fertilised female
Lays one eggCollects mudSeals the cellCollects food etc.
Seals the inner end of the nestCollects food (10 to 15 foraging trips)
More home buildingLife cycle (Part 3)
The femaleContinues until 6 to 10 eggs have been laidSeals the mouth of the nest siteRepeats the process at another nest site
She may have laid as many as 40 eggs in five sites by the end of her life cycle in mid-June.
The next generationLife cycle (Part 4)
During the summerEach egg develops into a larvaEach larva
consumes its food storemoults through 4 or 5 stages of growthspins a cocoon around itselfbecomes an adult
The adult remains dormant in the cocoon until it emerges during the following Spring.
Man-made nest sites (Part 1)
The solitary nature of the Red Mason bee means that a nest box can be set up much as one does for birds.
This commercially available nest box is available in two sizes.
The smaller version contains 30 cardboard tubes.
The larger version shown above contains 100.
Man-made nest sites (Part 2)
The dimensions of the cardboard tubes have been chosen specifically to suit the Red Mason bee.
The outer tube is of plastic, open only at one end.
Man-made nest sites (Part 3)
Nest-seeking bees scan South-facing walls and fences.
Man-made nest sites (Part 4)
With the nest placed close to a south-facing wall, 4 or 5 tubes were populated in the first season.
Man-made nest sites (Part 5)
All 30 tubes were populated in subsequent years.