Everyone loves bees—or at least, many of us who choose to raise native bees do! For some, severe allergies to bee venom make that love a little complicated. But for those who appreciate the vital role bees play in pollinating the plants that feed us, raising native bees is a meaningful way to support their essential contribution to our ecosystems.
In our home, as in many others across the country, bees are the true MVP. The red carpet is always out for them! Raising native bees comes with deep admiration—watching their movements, offering favorite foods, and creating welcoming homes. Kids learn to give them plenty of space, respect shapes every interaction, and our home becomes irresistibly appealing to these amazing creatures.
We Are Beekeepers!
When people find out, we often hear, “How’s the honey production going?” or “Are sales good?” Sometimes, “I bet the kids love all that honey!” And then comes the look of confusion when we provide our answers. We have no hives, and our bees produce no honey.
Ah! There it is. The furled brow, squinty eyes, and head tilt. A look of utter confusion suddenly replaces the excitedly interested look that was there only a moment before. I’ve simultaneously stolen the wind from their sails and replaced it with vast stillness. The boat’s not sailing anymore.
Then what bees ARE we raising if we have not honey bees?
Meet Your Native Bees
Enter native cavity nesting super-pollinators: mason and leafcutter bees! Aren’t they cute? With their fuzzy bodies and tiny faces, they’ll bring joy to any garden.
Notice the word native. As much as we love them, honey bees are not the focus in this post. Un-bee-knownst to some, honey bees are not native to the US. They are native to Europe! And what’s more? The pollination power of the honey bee pales in comparison to the native bees living right in your backyard! Chances are, you don’t even know they are there.
I know what you might be thinking. Why would you raise native bees that don’t give you honey? Short answer: because they are cute, gentle (no, really), low-maintenance, your garden needs them, and your native region needs them. Long answer: Keep reading!
Saddening Reality: The Decline of Bees
Native bee populations are facing real challenges, largely due to pesticide use and the loss of natural habitat. Neonicotinoid pesticides—commonly used in agriculture and landscaping—are especially harmful to pollinators (see Understanding Neonicotinoids from the Xerces Society). While growing awareness has led to neonicotinoid bans in several states, pesticide exposure continues to affect bees across many landscapes.
Habitat loss adds to the problem. Lawns, parking lots, warehouses, solar fields, and large-scale monoculture farming have replaced diverse native plants with spaces that offer little food or shelter for native bees. Many gardeners and growers are now noticing fewer pollinators and declining yields—gentle but important reminders that our ecosystems are under strain.
Why Native Bees and Pollinators Matter
According to many scientific resources including the National Library of Medicine, only around 10-15% of flowering plants are predominantly self-pollinating, meaning the majority of plants rely on external pollinators to reproduce. Even with the selection of plants that can thrive by self- or wind-pollination, we typically see more production with the help of pollinators.
Bottomline, without our diligent pollinators, we will likely see diminished yields and the loss of some of our staple fruits and vegetables.
Food wouldn’t be the only flora impacted. Think about sunflowers, wildflowers, and alfalfa crops integral for livestock. They all require pollination to propagate. There are even some types of orchids that evolved to attract very specific types of pollinators in specialized ways! Without their pollinators, they could face extinction.
On a more personal note, it’s hard to imagine a world without bees. For my family, they’re a reminder of the beauty of nature’s interconnected cycles and the power of working together toward a common purpose. Their quiet presence represents balance and simplicity—and their decline is a meaningful loss that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Choosing Action Over Despair
Many of us are feeling helpless, and are left with a nagging question about all this. What can I, with my small space in a vast world, do to help?
There are many ways to help, depending one’s available time, budget, etc. But what is one thing almost anyone can do? Support and raise native bees! All you need to do is carve out a little backyard sanctuary for them and they will reward you with their presence (and pollination). This is one of those rare pursuits that requires minimal effort, but results in extraordinary experiences and rewards.
The Buzz About Native Bees
There are many types of cavity nesting bees, but here I’m focusing in on mason bees and leafcutter bees. Unlike honey bees, these bees are solitary. All the females are queens, and they live independently, but they are happy to take up residence in the same location if conditions are favorable.
Active during the day, they rest in their nests at night. Small tubular cavities, such as hollow stems, cracks in wood, or abandoned insect holes in trees, serve as their nesting spots. Inside these cavities, they build chambers for their offspring. Mason bees use mud in their construction, and leafcutter bees use leaves!
These bees aren’t just cute engineers; they’re power-packed pollinators! They can visit up to 2,000 flowers daily within a mere 300 feet from their home. Plus, they boast a 95% pollination rate, making them 120 times more efficient than honey bees. To put it in perspective, it would take 250-300 native mason or leafcutter bees to pollinate an acre of an apple tree orchard, a job that would demand 40,000-120,000 honey bees!
Talk about efficiency! Just think about what this might do for your garden.
Native Bees Spread the Joy
They’re fuzzy, buzzy, and downright adorable. Watching these bees nest is a real treat. Exceptionally gentle and docile, they aren’t bothered by nearby humans—though their shy nature means they appreciate a little space. Give them room to settle in, and enjoy their quiet, fascinating routines.
Leafcutters create chambers using tiny circular cutouts from tender leaves like hostas, along with colorful flower petals tucked beneath their bellies. Don’t worry—this won’t harm your garden. Mason bees follow the same process but use mud instead, true to their name. The result is a vibrant, mesmerizing display of natural craftsmanship.
Busy Builders at Work
Once a chamber begins, the bees head out to favorite flowers, returning with bellies full of nectar and pollen-dusted hairs. This messy, wholehearted approach—especially the mason bee’s famous “belly flop” into blooms—is exactly what makes them such efficient pollinators.
Back at their nesting site, they disappear into the cavity to deposit nectar, back out, then reverse again to unload pollen, bum-first. After several trips, the pollen loaf is complete. An egg is laid on top, the chamber sealed with leaves or mud, and the cycle continues. A single bee can fill several nesting tubes, each holding multiple chambers—giving you plenty of opportunities to witness this remarkable process up close.
Support and Raise Native Bees
To support and raise native bees is so much easier than you might think! A little bit of effort, and a little bit of care can mean the difference for hundreds or thousands of bees. And there are so many ways to do it. Here, I give you the basics–a quick overview of what you’ll need and what you’ll need to do.
Support
To support your native bees is simple and rewarding. All you need to do is plant their food and ensure you have plants blooming for each season (i.e. Spring and Summer)! Since they are native to the area, aim for native plantings that offer the pollen and nectar they like. In New England and elsewhere, this would include Purple Coneflower, Bee Balm, Black-Eyed Susan, New England Asters, Eastern Red Columbine, Butterfly Weed and many others. Below are a few examples from my own garden. It’s as simple as that!
Raise
To raise native bees is exceedingly simple, low maintenance, and can be done in tiny spaces! There are no bee suits, hives, smokers, or treatments to worry about. A few basic supplies will get you started: a house, nesting materials, their favorite foods, mud for masons, and the right location.
You might also want to start with obtaining some bee starter cocoons from reputable native bee suppliers! Timing is important – In New England, mason bee cocoons hatch in early spring when fruit trees blossom (Apr/May), and leafcutter bee cocoons hatch at the start of summer (Jun). From there, you simply enjoy the bees in spring and summer.
Come fall, it’s time to harvest cocoons for winter storage, and clean and store the bee house. A few more supplies are needed for that as well. I got a bit of a late start my first year, so I opted to purchase all of my supplies, to include the bee house. But the best part is that many of the supplies you’ll need can be easily found on a small budget with just a little planning ahead and a fun DIY approach! It’s totally doable to get everything you need without breaking the bank.
For much more detailed information on what you will need to start raising native bees, refer to my Native Beekeeping for Beginners post.
Native Bees are Un-bee-lievable!
Embrace these lesser-known yet mighty bees by creating a habitat for them in your backyard. Let’s make our homes and gardens buzz with these native super-pollinators, crucial not just for our environment but also for maximizing our food supply. Remember, every little step counts in making a big difference!
All photography by @heldthrulightbyjw
