One confused homeowner went to Reddit for help when they discovered an unfamiliar insect nesting on their property in March. Communities like r/whatsthisbug exist to help people identify the ...

Editor's Note: This story was originally published in 2019. When Dyan and Mark Eisenberger decided to make their garden in Columbia more pollinator-friendly, they started by removing nonnative plants.

Rent Mason Bees provides the house, nesting block and cocoons ready to pollinate a garden for the season. (Courtesy of Rent Mason Bees) “Without a hive or a queen to protect, they are non-aggressive, ...

As concern grows over the decline in the honey bee population, alternative pollinators are gaining attention. Mason bees, which are native to North America, are one option. These gentle-natured bees ...

A light crackling sound floats above a field in northern Switzerland in late summer. Its source is invisible, tucked inside a dead, dried plant stem: a dozen larval mason bees striking the inner walls ...

MASON BEES ARE SMALL. They don’t look like what we think a bee should look like and in fact more closely resemble a fly, although some are an attractive metallic greenish-blue. While they might live ...

Hidden predators like pollen mites, Houdini flies, and chalkbrood linger inside nests, emerging in spring and harming future generations of bees. Proper cleaning removes these threats, ensuring every ...

Honeybees, which are tasked with pollinating many of the agricultural crops in the United States, are dying off in record numbers. Commercial beekeepers are reporting losses this year ranging between ...

• A Mason bee lays about 15 eggs in its lifetime and will die four to six weeks after emerging. • The blue orchard Mason bee has a greenish iridescent sheen on its back and is often mistaken for a ...

BOTHELL, Wash., Oct. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As pollinator populations continue to decline, Rent Mason Bees is leading a nationwide effort to educate and empower people to properly care for mason ...

This is the nest of P. grandiceps after emergence of imagines, visible trapped between their natal nest and a nest of Megachile maxillosa. Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the ...