Mason Bee

Bees in the genus Heriades get their common name –Mason Bee– from their practice of walling off the cells of their nests with bits of mud, sand and other materials just like a human brick mason might do. Inside of each nest cell, the mother bee carefully constructs a ball of pollen and nectar upon which she will lay a single egg. Soon after being laid and sealed into its chamber, the egg will hatch and the larva will grow until the following spring before pupating and emerging as an adult Mason Bee. In some cases, individuals may stay in the cell longer, which is thought to be a strategy to insure that some individuals will always be around in case the previous season’s brood are unsuccessful.