Bee identification - possible horn-faced bees - Ask Extension
Hi! This spring I started to provide housing for solitary mason bees, and got starter cocoons from the orchard on the Clackamas Community College cam...
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Bee identification - possible horn-faced bees #747063
Asked April 29, 2021, 4:48 PM EDT
Hi! This spring I started to provide housing for solitary mason bees, and got starter cocoons from the orchard on the Clackamas Community College campus to get started. However, two kinds of bees hatched out! About 40% are blue orchard mason bees. The rest are fuzzy and a bit stripey. They are all nesting currently in 8mm 6 inch straws/tubes/channels in wood blocks. The mystery bees carry pollen packed on hairs on their belly, and are separating their chambers/capping nests in mud.
1) Are these Osmia cornifrons?
2) If so, should I work to eliminate them because they are not native?
I included pictures of one killed by a spider. Thank you for your assistance. Happy pollinating!
-Janelle
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi Janelle,
Yes, this is Osmia corniforns. It has been in the Portland area since the 1970s and we are seeing more of them in the valley. Eradication of the bees is unlikely at this point, so its not clear what eliminating them would accomplish. We are working on a way to better identify the two species at the cocoon stage, to ensure they are not spread widely beyond the Willamette Valley.