We have made nesting boards for solitary bees the last couple of years and hung them in the yard. This year, we have had really good success with this because we made the holes deeper (drilling them on the end of a 2x4" board) and also hung the boards in sunnier places.
This photo is a close up of a cavity mudded over. Most of the mudded over cavities have been by the Orchard Mason Bee (Osmia lignaria), a fairly small sized blue colored bee.The female collects pollen and deposits it in the end of the cavity. Once there's enough food source for the larvae, she then lays and egg on top and muds in the cavity opening.
Congratulations on your Blog! The format, text and photos all blend beautifully and are truly inspirational.
ReplyDeleteI have just listened to a radio program of advice for gardeners. To deter rabbits eating young shoots, it suggested two approaches: 1) spray shoots and area around with a mixture of water and a couple of drops of very perfumed dish detergent, then sprinkle blood meal around the shoots. Apparently rabbits don't like the perfume or the smell of blood. 2) Arrange dog hair from a dog's brushings around the plants. Both of these methods ward off rabbits.
Another comment on the same program was advice for planting urns: Use a thriller in the middle, spillers at the edge and fillers in the middle - a good way to remember what one needs.