Mason bees are premier pollinators

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By Larry Mauter
LCSWA director

The season for Mason bees on our tree farm near Waterloo is over. Todd and Kari Stutzman have come and gone twice from our foothill farm.
They will be back in late winter 2021 to set up more hives in the two bee condos they’ve installed.

The Masons are pollinators. They are eventually moved to California’s Sacramento Valley where they are crucial to fruit and nut crops. The Stutzmans used to make the trips south with their bees but now sell their bees through a broker. That is  allowing them begin expanding their mason bee operations in the Willamette Valley and foothills.

Masons are solitary bees and their sole purpose is to reproduce, explained Kari Stutzman. They collect pollen and nectar to provide food for their offspring. In the process they provide pollination, she said.

Mason bees are natives and have a one-year life cycle. They are not aggressive. Food sources include early spring flowers, maple trees, fruit trees and even Scotch broom and other weeds.

March, April and May are the months when the Masons are at work at our place. The Stutzmans bring the starter bees, fence posts and a shelter for the bee condos.

Oh yeah, they also dropped by a big jar of coriander honey last week when they gathered the hives.

We have provided a two-year commitment, some clay mud and a couple spots along our fence line.

As tree farmers we welcome diversity of critters on the land. If you are interested in Mason bees on your property, contact Kari Stutzman at 503-407-5330 or through nwpollen@gmail.com. 


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