The Orchard Mason Bee: The Life History, Biology, Propagation, and Use of a North American Native Bee [Paperback]

Brian L. Griffin (Author), Sharon Smith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1999 | ISBN-10: 096358412X | ISBN-13: 978-0963584120 | Edition: Second

(Osmia lignaria propinqua Cresson) Raise Pollinating Bees in Your Own Backyard. Here is All the Information You Will Need to Capture and Raise These Docile Bees at Home. GROW apples, pears, and other crops successfully with these highly efficient pollinators. LEARN the fascinating life history of this mild-mannered bee. Watch as its life cycle unfolds in your own bee colony. EDUCATIONAL. A wonderful activity to introduce children to the marvels of the natural world. NON-AGGRESSIVE. Beneficial bees that everyone can propagate at home.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Congratulations! I found your book on the Orchard Mason Bee fascinating, It is engrossing, scholarly, and well written in an informal, conversational style which holds the interest of non-scientists such as myself. I read every word. -- Ruth Miller, Master Gardener

Fortunately help (for the pollination crisis) is at hand. Thanks in large part to Bellingham's Brian Griffin, native bee-master extraordinaire, it's now easy to learn a lot more about the habits and needs of our non-aggressive native bees. His enchanting bee books...are a delight to read, particularly if you have kids who like to learn about bugs. -- Ann Lovejoy, columnist and Author

What began as a poorly pollinated Belgian fence of 40 varieties of apples and pears, and a subsequesnt Cooperative Extension Bee Bulletin, has become a burgeoning business and never-ending stream of educational encounters for Brian Griffin as he introduces ffascinated gardeners to their long time neighbor and newly recognized friend, the Orchard Mason Bee. The charminly written and illustrate little book covers the life history, biology, propagation, and use of a truly benevolent and beneficial insect. -- Stephanie Feeney, author Northwest Gardeners Resource Directory and Gardeners on the Go

About the Author

Brian Griffin, a graduate of Whitman College with a degree in English literature, was born in Bellingham, Washington in 1932. A childhood spent exploring the tide pools and forests of the San Juan Islands whetted his curiosity about natural things. Years spent afield hiking and hunting sharpened his powers of observation, and, finally, an inspiring natural history teacher at Whitman College, Arthur Rempel, focused his interest and fueled his curiosity further. Griffin has spent a long career in business, but has always found time to observe and enjoy nature. For many he has propagated Orchard Mason Bees. This book is a recitation of his experiences with and study of the Orchard Mason Bee. He has written a second book about native bees Humblebee Bumblebee. His daughter Lisa Novich, now operates the business—Knox Cellars Native Bee Pollinators—selling Orchard Mason Bees, and native bee related items at knoxcellars.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Knox Cellars Publishing; Second edition (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096358412X
• ISBN-13: 978-0963584120
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #342,127 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Biology > Entomology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars O what a lovely book!, February 7, 2000

By 

Susan R. Matthews (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Orchard Mason Bee (Osmia Lignaria Propingua Cresson : the Life-History-Biology-Propagation and Use of a Truly Benevolent and Beneficial Insect) (Paperback)

This book tells all about orchard mason bees (and some other native pollinators), what they look like, what they do, why they're particularly good at it, and most of all how we can help.

Orchard mason bees are not honeybees but a small, modest, hard-working, solitary little bee native to the New World. They mind their own business and do a whale of a job pollinating. My blueberry bushes have doubled and tripled their yields since I started putting homes out for the orchard mason bees.

The pictures of the bee-faces in the section on telling the difference between the boy bees and the lady bees are cute. But the text, while not heavy in the least, is serious. Here is a man who believes in his bees and in ways in which we can acknowledge our part in the natural order by helping offset the pernicious effects of excess urbanization. The text is written at the layman's level; no technical knowledge is required to read and understand, but there are references for people who want to get more deeply involved with technical issues.

Here is everything you will need to know to decide whether you would like to harbor orchard mason bees and how to go about it if you do.

I got my first bee block from Knox Farms several years ago and upgraded to a bee condo last year. This year I took my courage in my hands and carefully changed my bee-full nesting tubes for clean ones to wait for spring. It was fascinating handling those tubes stuffed with beneficient bee life! I think this would be a great thing for kids to get involved with. (I'm fourty-something, and I think it's great).

If you are interested in giving a hard-working native bee a hand, and benefitting all of the fruit and berry plants in your neighborhood, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Easy to read but packed with information!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written. Illustrations could be better., November 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Orchard Mason Bee: The Life History, Biology, Propagation, and Use of a North American Native Bee (Paperback)

Given that I haven't actually used the information, and I never intended to even before I bought it, the text seems complete. It manages its completeness without being overly academic. I'd consider it more of a "technical" book rather than an "engineering" book: a brass tacks "how-to" rather than physiology, theory, etc. My biggest "complaint" are the illustrations. They seem to be a bit on the "cutesy" side. Perhaps that was what was intended in order to keep the subject light but I would very much have liked to see some detailed top/front/side views of both the male and the female subject - academic quality. Even jumped on Knox Cellars' website hoping for the diagrams but no such luck. Despite this, keep in mind, I feel this book is more than adequate to get anyone up and running with these little pollinators. The previous review does a sufficient job of summarizing so I won't here.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great story teller, January 16, 2012

By 

John Taggart (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Orchard Mason Bee (Osmia Lignaria Propingua Cresson : the Life-History-Biology-Propagation and Use of a Truly Benevolent and Beneficial Insect) (Paperback)

This is a great little book that introduces the reader to the Orchard Mason Bee. While this book is packed with information, it doesn't read like a textbook. It's clear that the author is passionate about his topic, and as the reader it's easy to get just as excited. I've loaned my copy out several times, and upon it's return there hasn't been a bad review yet. If you want to learn about the Mason Bee read this followed by "How to Manage the Blue Orchard Bee" available as a free pdf online.