Mason bees are SUPER HEROES! They pollinate our fruit trees, vegetable plants, and berry bushes, and significantly increase produce vegetable production. You can help prevent the declining bee population by setting up a mason bee house in your yard.
Mason bees are the calmest of all the bees and rarely sting. They are not a social bee and do not have a hive or queen to protect. The only way to get one to sting is to squeeze it, and even then, it probably won’t.
Elizabeth Agin, the farmer and owner of Māyā Farm in Oak Harbor, will lead this class and teach us about mason bees and pollination. Amy Tuthill will join her to talk about other pollinators. An open discussion on why mason bees and native pollinators are a better choice over honeybees for small gardeners will follow
Be sure to bring the kids, or grandkids. There will be a children’s table where they will learn how to build small mason bee homes, using materials found around your home. All materials will be provided.
There will also be seed bombs to take home to help create “bee gardens,” which helps all our local pollinators.
If you would like to attend, contact Kathy Floyd at kathy46@whidbey.com. Prices for the event will be $15 for members, $20 for non-members, $10 for children seven and older, and children under seven are free.
