Will attract all three species throughout the summer and consequently becomes the ideal habitat for them to overwinter in.

WHY DO I WANT RED MASON BEES AND LADYBIRDS IN MY GARDEN?

Ladybirds

• Ladybirds are a top Garden Buddy
• Ladybirds devour vast amounts of Aphids
• Ladybirds are essential to maintaining a balanced environment
• Ladybirds are safe around Children & Pets

There are more than 5,200 species of Ladybird, or Ladybug, worldwide, of which 25 are resident in Britain. The most common Ladybird to be found in this country is the seven spot (Coccinella 7-punctata). Sized between 5mm and 8mm they are named after the Virgin Mary (originally their full name was Our Lady’s Bird) because their colour was seen to represent the red cloak worn by Mary in old paintings with the spots symbolic of the seven joys and seven sorrows. They were also thought to have mystical healing powers and were utilised as a cure for measles and colic as well as being crushed to a pulp to be placed into cavities to relieve toothache.

The 7 spot ladybird is a member of the beetle family which has 3 ½ black spots on each of its two elytra (the wing cases). The thorax is black and has two white side spots and it’s head is small and black. The larvae are RAF blue in colour with visible yellow spots on the side of the abdomen. They can be found throughout Britain and mostly inhabit woodlands, hedgerows and gardens.

Ladybirds over-winter by hibernating from October in large groups, generally at sites which have been used for many seasons. Research would suggest that those in hibernation release a pheromone attracting others to the site, thereby generating greater heat to combat the severe cold. They begin to emerge during April and immediately seek partners to mate with.

Providing there is a plentiful crop of aphids, a female Ladybird can lay 2,000 eggs in her year long life. The eggs hatch after a few days and the larvae immediately devours the egg shell it has just emerged from. This gives it the required energy to go out and search for aphids. Over a 3 month period the larvae will moult three times before pupating. The ladybird emerges from the pupae after a week and feeds voraciously for several weeks before going into hibernation to begin the cycle again.

The Ladybird diet favours plant-lice and aphids with the average adult consuming 5000 aphids in it’s lifetime. Do the Math - one female can be responsible for the removal of an amazing 10,000,000 aphids from the planet.

Of course the other huge bonus of the Ladybird is that it doesn’t bite. The odd instance of reported bites have been attributed to either the insect feasting on the salt element of sweat and accidentally nipping the skin or, during Ladybird population explosions when food is at a premium, the creatures actually testing humans to see if they are a viable foodsource. This makes the Ladybird extremely child & pet safe.

In many circles this creature is regarded as the ultimate garden buddy. Left to it’s own devices it will control aphid populations and help maintain natures natural equilibrium. You really should encourage them into your garden and persuade them to stay - your plants will be eternally grateful.

How do I get Ladybirds into my garden?

Most species of Ladybird are predators of sap sucking garden pests, apart from the 16 spot Orange Ladybird which consumes mildew. They have an in-built defence mechanism whereby they secrete an unpleasant yellow oil from the joints in their legs, which tastes and smells foul which allied to their bright markings, makes them very unattractive to prospective predators. Because of their eating habits it is difficult to put specific plants in your garden to tempt Ladybirds in, but anything you can do to discourage Ant behaviour is welcome as they are a Ladybird predator.

Ladybirds become inactive at night and tend to use their winter hibernating spot as a bedroom during the active months of the year. Typically they will roost in crevices and cavities between loose bark, dead leaves and dense foliage. The Growing Success Wildlife lodge for the Ladybird has been designed with this in mind. The two slots and the random holes entice the insects to visit, with the internal natural bedding specifically selected to make them feel welcome, thus encouraging them to stay.

Your Wildlife lodge should be sited well above ground level onto a tree, fence or outbuilding. You can place it nearer ground level (a foot or so above). This will suit certain species of Ladybirds as well as the larvae of the Lacewing (another voracious consumer of Aphids) who seek such shelter in which to pupate.

Why do I want Red Mason Bees in my Garden?

• Bees are a great garden buddy.
• Red Mason Bees are safe around Children & Pets.
• Fruit & Flower crops become healthier and more prolific.

Bees in general are a great garden buddy. They provide an essential service by pollinating trees, flowers, fruit and vegetables. The Red Mason Bee has an added benefit in so far as it has a highly docile, non-aggressive nature, so is ideal to be around children & pets. It rarely stings and only does so under intense provocation, even then it is extremely mild when compared to a Wasp or a Honeybee.

There are 254 species of wild bee in Britain and about a quarter are on the endangered list. Intensive agriculture has seen the erosion of natural bee habitats, so finding nesting sites has become increasingly difficult for all types of bee. By encouraging them into your garden you are helping to maintain the natural environment, as well as gaining the benefit of stronger, healthier and more prolific plants.

The Red Mason Bee (proper name Osmia Rufa) is a great pollinator of flowers and trees found in most British domestic gardens. Far more efficient at pollinating fruit crops than the Honeybee, it’s presence in your locality will ensure noticeable improvement in your fruit crops especially apples, plums, pears, strawberries and raspberries. In fact it has been estimated that one third of the food we eat is dependent on the direct, or indirect, pollination of a bee.

Unlike Honey and Bumblebees who live and work as a collective, the Mason Bee is a solitary creature. Although it only has an annual life cycle, females invariably nest close to their birth place. This mean’s that it is highly likely a permanent nesting population will be established in your garden, especially when you consider that a single female can produce an average off-spring of 8 in one year. You may find after a period of time you need more than one nesting box!

Red Mason Bees emerge in early spring and immediately begin the nesting process. After mating the female will locate a suitable site and begin constructing cells . Each one is filled with nectar and pollen, as a food source, for the single egg she lays before sealing the cell with a mud plug. She repeats the process 5 to 10 times and finishes her nest building in early June.

The eggs inside the nest hatch into larvae which survive by feeding on the nectar and pollen deposited by the mother bee. They moult up to 5 times before the fully developed larvae spins a silk cocoon and pupates. The new adult bee is fully formed in the cocoon by September but does not ‘hatch’ until the following spring. The first egg laid, the furthest from the entrance, is the first to produce a bee. This bee eats through the mud plug and the outer of the cocoon in the next cell. It bites the dormant bee on the bottom, thus waking it, who in turn performs the same service on the bee in the next cell along, until eventually the whole tube is open, allowing all the bees to exit thus beginning the cycle over again.

How do I get Red Mason Bees in my Garden?

The first pointer is to provide a rich source of nectar. The bees are particularly attracted by Borage and Wallflowers so it is a good idea to try and plan ahead.

The wildlife lodge is best situated in a warm, sunny south facing spot. It has to be sited well above ground level and secured to prevent it being blown around. A south facing wall or fence is ideal, however you can site under the eaves of an outbuilding or even in a log pile. Areas best avoided are those such as trees and shrubs that produce dappled shade.

When fixed in location plant your Borage & Wallflowers nearby and it is also helpful to leave a small mound of well sieved and damp earth within a metre of the lodge, thus enabling the bees to utilise this when constructing the nesting cells. Once they have discovered this soil, you may well witness several female bees constantly returning to the mound to collect the mud for use as their building material.

How do I know Red Mason Bees are in my Garden?

The first mild days of spring (late March - early April) are when Red Mason Bees can initially be observed. The male is the first to be seen and will constantly stay within the vicinity of the nest looking for a mate. Both sexes are very distinctive being densely covered with reddish brown hair and are between 12 and 15mm in length. The male is slightly smaller and thinner than his female counterpart and has white tufts on the front of his face. The male only survives for a period of 21 days but females remain active through to early summer.

The female returns frequently to the lodge, her underside coloured yellow by the pollen she has collected in her dense coat of hair. You can also observe females returning with a mud pellet, lodged between the jaws and the two horns protruding from the front of their head. This is used to construct the cell plug.

You may find that later in the season your lodge attracts a smaller darker Mason Bee, named after the metallic blue reflection off of it’s body - the Blue Mason bee. As this species is smaller it prefers a smaller nesting tube and uses a plug made up from chewed leaves, which seals the nesting tube with a golden-brown or grey coloured fine grained material. In some cases you may be lucky and attract two or three types of leafcutter bee, if this is the case you will observe that the nesting tube has been sealed with a disc of cut leaf.

In late September it is advisable to take the Lodge inside and store it in an unheated outbuilding. This helps protect against severe frost and adverse weather conditions. The following March the complete lodge should be returned to it’s original site.