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Screening to keep out tiny Monodontomerus wasp parasites

Raymond Williams
January 1999

I am working with some master gardeners and farmers in my area to promote the increased use of non-honeybee species, and to increase the planting of various nectar plants for habitat.

I gave over 100 filled nest holes of the hornfaceed bees to a farmer who raises blueberries as one of his cash crops, and had been experiencing a rather serious lack of pollinators. He informed me that his bushes were loaded with berries last year and he attributed that to the hornfaced bees. However, this year he called to tell me he didn't think there were many bees hatching. When I went to investigate, I discovered that the bees were heavily infested with Monodontomerus wasps, even though he did remove them from the field shelters to an enclosed barn when they were finished last year.

Here is a source for insect screen fine enough to keep out the tiny Monodontomerus wasp parasites of Osmia. It is called Meteor Anti-Virus Insect Screen and is available from Greentech, Inc., 407 N. Main Street, Edgerton, WI 53534 (608) 884-9454. It is finer than window screen and comes in a 3.5 foot wide roll.

I screen my shelters as soon as the bees are finished and add flypapers inside the shelters. This seems to work very well because only about half a dozen wasps were caught inside the shelters in the last couple of years.

I am also rearing Osmia bucephala and Megachile rotundata successfully, and Osmia lignaria with only limited success. The blue orchard bees are the western subspecies and are very lethargic compared to the vitality of the other bees. I was told by one bee supplier that the western subspecies does not do well in the east. This may explain why they are so lethargic.