E24: Consider the Borer Bee

Borer bees can be the bane of homeowners with wood siding and other exterior wood. Accordingly, a multi-million dollar industry has arisen around killing and deterring them. But I discovered this month there is much more at stake, as I tried to get a group of borer bees to move using the method I shared in my last post, "Talking to the Bees." The stakes, I came to see, have to do with our relationship with native species. This shocking insight led me to discover the relatively smaller but well-established industry of adorable bee houses which reflect a growing realization about the importance of native pollinators. READ POST/TRANSCRIPT: https://www.katymorikawa.com/consider-the-borer-bee/ LINKS: Our bee houses: https://www.katymorikawa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG_9565.jpeg “Bee Basics: An Introduction to Our Native Bees,” by Beatriz Moisset, Ph.D. and Stephen Buchmann, Ph.D. with USDA Forest Service https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/references/public/SC/Bee_Basics_North_American_Bee_ID.pdf REFERENCES Carpenter bee. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:57, May 16, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carpenter_bee&oldid=1083160770 Eastern carpenter bee. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:42, May 16, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eastern_carpenter_bee&oldid=1069100416 Penn State Extension. (March 8, 2021). “The Eastern Carpenter Bee: Beneficial Pollinator or Unwelcome Houseguest?” Retrieved May 16, 2022 from Penn State Extension https://extension.psu.edu/the-eastern-carpenter-bee-beneficial-pollinator-or-unwelcome-houseguest U.S. Geological Survey. “How many species of native bees are in the United States?” Retrieved May 16, 2022 from USGS https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-many-species-native-bees-are-united-states