Bees In The City
Most people automatically think of the fat bumble bee living in a honey comb, or if you live in an orchard area you are accustomed to seeing the bee boxes that are kept in orchards for the job of pollination.
But most native California bees are not social honey bees but lone bees that prefer to make individual nests. In cities and large urban areas, there is not a lot known about the nesting habits of bees. What is known is that there are three general nesting sites for solitary bees:
Number one is the ground nest, perhaps the most common with an estimated 85 per cent of species preferring soil for their habitats.
Some bees are opportunists and will nest in tree cavities that already exist. This type of bee also nests in structures of wood, metal, or masonry blocks.
The third type is the bore holetype of nest found in wood frames and paneling. Large carpenter bees may bore out holes for their nests which can result in unwanted visitors for city dwellers.
Bees in urban areas find a wide assortment of flowers to meet their nectar needs. Female bees require pollen for the purpose of supplying food for their nests. The question now is where in urban areas do bees live and prosper. Although not much is currently known about urban bee nesting habits, we can look to wild lands bees habitats to draw some correlations in urban settings. Certainly the ground nest is the most common site for solitary bees. Females, attracted by the type of soil, burrow tunnels in which they make a series of brood cells lined with leaves, mud or wood shavings. The cells contain nectar and pollen and each cell has one egg. The female then seals off thecell and the egg develops without further intervention by the female. Again this is in contrast to the honey bee who feeds her brood regularly.
Most species breed only one generation in a season. Bee nests made in the Spring produce young that emerge about one year later.
Some bees prefer the cavity nest type of home. Old trees are a favorite spot and once situated the same process occurs as for ground nesters. That is, cells are constructed and provided with food by the female. Cavity nesting can also be seen in metal, wood or mason blocks. Some people have provided ready made homes for bees such as bee boards and wooden boxes. Shade is best and with this type of device, it is easier to watch the life cycle of the bee more closely.
Carpenter bees are known to nest in wood structures. They chew holes in the wood, sometimes in door and window frames. The correlation can be made that ordinarily these bees would use trees as their nests but they learn to make do in urban environments.
