Most species of cavity-nesting Osmia make closures from leaf pulp (mastic), including the earliest spring nester, Osmia ribifloris. With practice and a hand lens, the probable identity of the nest can be learned from the nature of the cap itself, or certainly what the occupant is not, based on the material(s) constituting the cap and its surface texture. When recovering blocks/reeds/tubes from the field, initially all one sees are the end caps of the nests, which for some species may be recessed. Timely pick-up by late spring will avoid many of these unwanted species, especially prevalent summer bees such as Megachile. Dozens of other native bees, including other Osmia species, may be inadvertently obtained, particularly if the nest tubes are left out during the summer. The blue orchard bee (BOB), Osmia lignaria, is increasingly sought by people who are commercially trap-nesting wild bees in the western USA. How To Distinguish Blue Orchard Bee Nests From Those Of Other Wild Bees When properly managed, they can provide excellent pollination on their own or with honey beesĬherries being harvested from an orchard pollinated by blue orchard bees.They nest in 5/16" diameter holes, 6" deep.They are easy to manage and rarely sting. BOBs forage and pollinate under cloudy skies and at lower temperatures than most other bees. With a strong preference for fruit trees, BOBs are highly efficient pollinators in fact, just 250-300 females will pollinate an entire acre of apples or cherries. In recent years, the blue orchard bee (BOB) has become established as an alternative orchard pollinator in North America.
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