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Mason Bee Revolution: How the Hardest Working Bee Can Save the World - One Backyard at a Time
The national media regularly features dire stories on honeybee colony collapse and its danger to our food supply. But there's another, unsung bee that has the potential to save the planet―the mason bee.
Mason Bee Revolution explains how docile, hard-working, solitary mason bees (and their compatriots, the leafcutter bees) are even more productive pollinators than honeybees, and keeping them can be a fun, easy, backyard hobby for gardeners, conservationists, foodies, and families everywhere.
Why these bees? Bee pollination is critical for about 80 percent of US agricultural crops, increasing crop value by an estimated $15 billion annually. Since 2006, nearly a third of all honeybee hives have been lost each year, due to parasites, pesticides, habitat loss, climate change, and a newer malady called Colony Collapse Disorder. While scientists search for answers to save the honeybee, Dave Hunter and his company, Crown Bees, are leading the effort to increase the population of other highly efficient One mason bee can produce twelve pounds of cherries, via pollination, where it would take sixty honey bees to achieve the same.
Mason Bee Revolution is an easy-to-follow guide to keeping both mason and leafcutter bees. It tells you how to set up, care for, and harvest your own bees and what types of plants and habitat encourage mason and leafcutter bees, as well as provides general information on other common pollinators and bee-related facts, projects, and personalities.
Mason Bee Revolution explains how docile, hard-working, solitary mason bees (and their compatriots, the leafcutter bees) are even more productive pollinators than honeybees, and keeping them can be a fun, easy, backyard hobby for gardeners, conservationists, foodies, and families everywhere.
Why these bees? Bee pollination is critical for about 80 percent of US agricultural crops, increasing crop value by an estimated $15 billion annually. Since 2006, nearly a third of all honeybee hives have been lost each year, due to parasites, pesticides, habitat loss, climate change, and a newer malady called Colony Collapse Disorder. While scientists search for answers to save the honeybee, Dave Hunter and his company, Crown Bees, are leading the effort to increase the population of other highly efficient One mason bee can produce twelve pounds of cherries, via pollination, where it would take sixty honey bees to achieve the same.
Mason Bee Revolution is an easy-to-follow guide to keeping both mason and leafcutter bees. It tells you how to set up, care for, and harvest your own bees and what types of plants and habitat encourage mason and leafcutter bees, as well as provides general information on other common pollinators and bee-related facts, projects, and personalities.
256 pages, Paperback
First published March 22, 2016
61 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 28, 2017
Problematic Editing
The book indeed contains some good information but the organization and presentation is challenging.
I was hoping to find an instruction manual for beginning mason bee keepers that went from acquiring my first nest to completing the first year of the cycle.
Instead, it opens with excessive discussions about honey bees(?). The book often switches from mason bees to leaf cutters which interrupts the flow. Why not separate chapters for them? Also, it makes several assumptions such as (something like) “After you get the cocoons out of the pods....”. Uh, where was the description on how to get the pods out?
Simply put, the content is probably there (I ended up skimming out of frustration) and would have been much better delivered with a clear, solid outline prior to writing. Even instructional / content manuscripts are best delivered in a pseudo storyline: A clear beginning, middle, and end with a clear path for the journey.
The book indeed contains some good information but the organization and presentation is challenging.
I was hoping to find an instruction manual for beginning mason bee keepers that went from acquiring my first nest to completing the first year of the cycle.
Instead, it opens with excessive discussions about honey bees(?). The book often switches from mason bees to leaf cutters which interrupts the flow. Why not separate chapters for them? Also, it makes several assumptions such as (something like) “After you get the cocoons out of the pods....”. Uh, where was the description on how to get the pods out?
Simply put, the content is probably there (I ended up skimming out of frustration) and would have been much better delivered with a clear, solid outline prior to writing. Even instructional / content manuscripts are best delivered in a pseudo storyline: A clear beginning, middle, and end with a clear path for the journey.
March 11, 2017
Really enjoyed this book with interesting facts and practical knowledge about native bees, specially the mason bee.
September 5, 2023
While I agree with some of the other reviewers who have mentioned the need for better editing, I didn't mind the meandering nature of the book quite as much. Perhaps because I entered without specific expectations for the content? It was included in my audible subscription and looked interesting, so I approached without specific goals in mind.
I also didn't see the discussion about honeybees as a negative against communal bees. Honeybees are definitely the face of the issue. They get the most press, research money, etc. While I love honeybees, I also know they are much harder to manage without training and aren't a possibility for many backyard gardeners. Many of the methods the author speaks about are beneficial to all pollinator species and he does a great job of pointing out changes the average person can make to their lifestyle and purchasing habits in order to make a larger scale difference.
By educating on and arguing for an alternative to honeybees, the author is helping introduce practices that can easily be managed by the average person and, even more, enjoyed as a part of family time and/or classroom education. I think this direct experience is important, especially for children, if we hope to make meaningful changes to the way we approach agriculture and pest management as a society. Telling children the importance of pollinators and teaching them about the dangers of pesticides and other chemicals may make a difference to some, but actually creating a habitat and having the opportunity to care for living things makes it less abstract and opens the doors for much more meaningful conversation about their place in the ecosystem.
I, too, wish the book dedicated even more time to instruction vs. theory but I still thought this was a really good introduction to other types of bees less known than honeybees. It made me want to continue learning how to incorporate them into my garden and create more opportunities for them to thrive.
I also didn't see the discussion about honeybees as a negative against communal bees. Honeybees are definitely the face of the issue. They get the most press, research money, etc. While I love honeybees, I also know they are much harder to manage without training and aren't a possibility for many backyard gardeners. Many of the methods the author speaks about are beneficial to all pollinator species and he does a great job of pointing out changes the average person can make to their lifestyle and purchasing habits in order to make a larger scale difference.
By educating on and arguing for an alternative to honeybees, the author is helping introduce practices that can easily be managed by the average person and, even more, enjoyed as a part of family time and/or classroom education. I think this direct experience is important, especially for children, if we hope to make meaningful changes to the way we approach agriculture and pest management as a society. Telling children the importance of pollinators and teaching them about the dangers of pesticides and other chemicals may make a difference to some, but actually creating a habitat and having the opportunity to care for living things makes it less abstract and opens the doors for much more meaningful conversation about their place in the ecosystem.
I, too, wish the book dedicated even more time to instruction vs. theory but I still thought this was a really good introduction to other types of bees less known than honeybees. It made me want to continue learning how to incorporate them into my garden and create more opportunities for them to thrive.
January 22, 2020
Didn't actually finish this book bc I realized I was just forcing myself to do so. The book is a bit all over the place, repetitive, and not as helpful as I was hoping it would be. And as another reviewer pointed out, the author only talks about mason bees a fraction of the time and also discusses leaf cutter bees and other pollinators but then hates on honey bees a good bit, which I found to be odd. There were some interesting facts but that was about it. I was hoping for a more methodical approach to starting mason bees.
October 16, 2019
Mason Bee Revolution is an eye-opening and garden expanding look into another type of bee that can help farmers and home gardeners. I had never heard of them before and was truly quite informed by this book, in an easy, "Hey, I can do this!" way. I am allergic to honeybees so was intrigued to learn all about these little garden workers that do not require the meticulous tending that honeybees do. Granted, you do not have the benefit of honey, but you do have the benefit of pollination happening. Perfect for organic gardeners, farmers, hobbyist, and those wanting to do something to save our food, and our bees. Lots of great information on how YOU can save our planet, one bee at a time.
December 29, 2016
Recently, I came across this book in my public library. Plans are in the works to start my first bee house in the spring. I am flabbergasted that I have not read about the beneficial leaf cutter and mason bees in your publication. It seems that raising solitary bees is simple and economical and even the most timid backyard gardener can raise these beneficial beauties. Not only do these bees sound like they increase yields, but they also may be part of the solution to our tragic pollinator problem. Best of all, these bees are docile and are not prone to stinging!
January 28, 2022
This was interesting if not what I was looking for. It provides some worthy discussions of the role of native pollinators in creating more resilient ecosystems, although I wanted a bit more discussion of how these bees behave in less disturbed environments.
I also struggle to get behind the idea of the very intensive management practices presented here. The authors seem to take it for granted that obviously it’s worthwhile to get involved in every single aspect of pollinators’ life cycle, but is it? I’m a strong advocate of the “if you build it, they will come” approach, and from my experience in my own garden I can say that it works. If you avoid pesticides and chemical fertilizers and fill your space with a riot of different flowers, the odds are good you’ll attract some native bees with no other work. Blue orchard bees, leaf cutters, carpenter bees, ground bees, and several species of bumblebee are very common visitors to my garden, and I’ve been watching their numbers increase every year. And I didn’t have to BUY them as the authors repeatedly suggest. (I’m very skeptical of purchasing garden insects in this way; from an ecology standpoint, if they’re not already there, it’s likely because they don’t have a good habitat. Fix the habitat and they show up on their own.)
Can I count them as methodically as the authors do? No. Do I get to observe every moment of their life cycle? No. But it’s a lot less work, and it strikes me as far more sustainable to create an environment where they can thrive with minimal human intervention. Both in the sense of being better for the ecosystem and also in the sense that most of the humans I know are more likely to invest in native pollinators if it takes minimal work. How many of us have the time and energy to keep bee cocoons in our fridges every winter? Meanwhile if you plant a flower polyculture and don’t spray poison everywhere, the bees manage themselves. I suspect far more people would be willing to take on the latter rather than the former.
Bottom line, Mason bees (and the other bees discussed in this book) are awesome, and if you have the means it’s worthwhile to create a nice habitat for them. But based on my own experience I see no sound reason to raise them in captivity unless you’re trying to study them for scientific reasons. It’s okay to let them be wild.
I also struggle to get behind the idea of the very intensive management practices presented here. The authors seem to take it for granted that obviously it’s worthwhile to get involved in every single aspect of pollinators’ life cycle, but is it? I’m a strong advocate of the “if you build it, they will come” approach, and from my experience in my own garden I can say that it works. If you avoid pesticides and chemical fertilizers and fill your space with a riot of different flowers, the odds are good you’ll attract some native bees with no other work. Blue orchard bees, leaf cutters, carpenter bees, ground bees, and several species of bumblebee are very common visitors to my garden, and I’ve been watching their numbers increase every year. And I didn’t have to BUY them as the authors repeatedly suggest. (I’m very skeptical of purchasing garden insects in this way; from an ecology standpoint, if they’re not already there, it’s likely because they don’t have a good habitat. Fix the habitat and they show up on their own.)
Can I count them as methodically as the authors do? No. Do I get to observe every moment of their life cycle? No. But it’s a lot less work, and it strikes me as far more sustainable to create an environment where they can thrive with minimal human intervention. Both in the sense of being better for the ecosystem and also in the sense that most of the humans I know are more likely to invest in native pollinators if it takes minimal work. How many of us have the time and energy to keep bee cocoons in our fridges every winter? Meanwhile if you plant a flower polyculture and don’t spray poison everywhere, the bees manage themselves. I suspect far more people would be willing to take on the latter rather than the former.
Bottom line, Mason bees (and the other bees discussed in this book) are awesome, and if you have the means it’s worthwhile to create a nice habitat for them. But based on my own experience I see no sound reason to raise them in captivity unless you’re trying to study them for scientific reasons. It’s okay to let them be wild.
March 30, 2022
As an aspiring "do all you can" native bee supporter i hoped for more practical advice and logic. After reading this book i confess i have even less confidence that i can sustain the practices described in the book as I was not convinced about keeping the bees in the fridge, have no desire to buy cocoons, and do not own or leave near an almond grove. There are definitely more informative and practical sources out there for regular folks like me.
January 23, 2025
Good information about this unfortunately obscure animal. Lots of great information scattered throughout the book. Tables were really helpful! Not so obvious to me was where do you get mason bees and leafcutter bees? Do you just build a house and they will come? I was totally unaware of needing a mud source - I thought that was interesting and well discussed. However, the whole 'harvesting cocoons' process of mason bee husbandry was quite difficult to follow, for me anyway.
December 23, 2023
The book is full of great advice. If you are a naturalist, environmentalist, farmer, or gardener you should read this book. I learned quite a lot that I didn't know and this book fits right into the native plant movement that is currently going on. Well written with great resources. Highly recommended.
April 2, 2023
A great educational read.
My family purchased a mason bee house at a garage sale last fall and was looking for information on how to attracted mason bees to our backyard. This book had answers to all of our questions.
My family purchased a mason bee house at a garage sale last fall and was looking for information on how to attracted mason bees to our backyard. This book had answers to all of our questions.
September 22, 2023
I knew NOTIHNG about Mason Bees and found this very interesting and easily comprehended. Even my 9 year old was able to understand much of it and it helped to alleviate her terror of bees. A great resource.
July 26, 2019
Little repetitive, felt like trying to fill space. But, informative.
January 29, 2020
I expected more technical information but this book didn’t deliver.
September 8, 2020
Cute little book. And if you want to keep bees without the dedication of a honeybee hive this is the perfect step. I started with leafcutter bees this summer and have really been enjoying it.
August 15, 2021
This book opened my eyes into a whole new world.
February 22, 2023
Very informative and easily understood. The lists at the ends of some chapters were overwhelming which caused me to downgrade it to 4 stars. A good read for any gardener or eco-conscious individual.
September 26, 2025
Great info about Mason bees - facts, info, how to keep
May 17, 2023
( Format : Audiobook )
"More bees more food."
A worthy endeavour but so repetitious. The author is obviously passionate about his subject and gives very helpful information on how, and why, these dekightul, solitary bees should be welcomed into every garden but there is no logical progression: a book half the length would have been more than adequate. But do not be deterred: the information is definitely helpful.
"More bees more food."
A worthy endeavour but so repetitious. The author is obviously passionate about his subject and gives very helpful information on how, and why, these dekightul, solitary bees should be welcomed into every garden but there is no logical progression: a book half the length would have been more than adequate. But do not be deterred: the information is definitely helpful.
March 13, 2022
Whether you are all in on raising these bees or not this is a wonderful reference book for gardeners and lovers of nature and food. My plan is to start by planting a pear tree, some blueberry bushes and some native herbs, vegetables and flowers and to go from there.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews