5 Northwest Animal Moms Who Can Teach Us About Parenting

In early spring tiny mason bees start to emerge from their nests where they spent the winter, and begin visiting flowers. The males emerge first, wait for females and once they mate, die. The females continue on pollinating and making their nests. The mother bee finds a tube, either human provided or in a plant stem, and lays an egg, leaving some pollen she has gathered with it. Then she builds a mud wall, lays another egg and continues until the tube is full. Once her task is complete she dies before summer arrives, leaving the next generation to continue the cycle.

What Northwest human moms can learn: Working hard doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the flowers.

Where to see them: Mason bees are very gentle and rarely sting. Check flowers in the early spring for mason bees visiting and add pollinator-friendly plants to your yard. For family fun, build a mason bee house to study and watch these interesting bees.

Watch: Show kids this fascinating micro-documentary on mason bees.