Red Mason Bee (Osmia rufa)
The red mason bee is a valuable pollinator of about 150 species of crops. It pollinates effectively all the species of garden plants flowering since beginning of April until mid-June.
Comparison of the recommended numbers of bees for 1 ha of cultivation area
Plant species
|
Kind of pollinator
|
|
Honey bee
|
Red mason bee
|
|
Apple, pear
|
4 families
(about 120,000 worker bees) |
600-700 females
(1500-1750 cocoons) |
Cherry, plum
|
5 families
(about 150,000 worker bees) |
2100-3200 females
(5250-8000 cocoons) |
Black current, strawberry
|
3 families
(about 90,000 worker bees) |
900-1000 females
(2250-2500 cocoons) |
Calculator of the necessary quantity of cocoons