I've never heard of such a thing, and I've done alot of reading over the years. Books, internet sites and forums, and the like. I've never run across even the mentioning of a permit. I don't have one and I don't know of anyone who does. But... I suppose it's possible.
The thing is, Mason Bees are not defensively aggressive, and their stingers are so mild that it doesn't even hurt. So I've been told... I've never been stung, or at least I never realized I was stung.
If you harass a Mason Bee's nest, they will likely abandon it rather than defend it. They live solitary lives and don't have any "defend the collective" mentality.
Growing up in Portland during the 70’s my dad started and maintained a honey bee hive in our back yard. He really enjoyed watching them, and neither my brother not I were ever stung while ‘push mowing’ around them. But we had the block's worst neighbor living next door. We’d already put up the highest fence allowable (6 feet) between him and us; and shortly after having the fence guy come back to cut it down 2 and 3 inches along its length(!) -- the same jerk eventually called ‘The City’ on us about our hive of bees.
Sure enough, we needed the signed permission of every owner bordering our lot to keep them. My Dad still misses his bees… And when that SOB died the otherwise tight-nit neighborhood nearly held a formal celebration!
I’m not surprised honey bees would still be ‘permitted.’ Sounds like a fun presentation to the Council if you were ever ‘sited.’ I’d dare them!
That is deeply silly, as mason bees are not domestic animals. More info at
[url:1rnr3inh]http://VancouverFood.net/2009/03/mason_bees_other_unsung_pollin.html[/url:1rnr3inh]
[url:1rnr3inh]http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/inse006/inse006.htm[/url:1rnr3inh]
[url:1rnr3inh]http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/apiculture/factsheets/506_osmia.htm[/url:1rnr3inh]
[url:1rnr3inh]http://web.mac.com/mtnbugs/mtnfolder/Cover/home.html[/url:1rnr3inh]
[url:1rnr3inh]http://web.mac.com/mtnbugs/mtnfolder/Projects/Contents.html[/url:1rnr3inh]
I live in Portland, and Mason Bees are wild in my neighborhood. I don't know of anyone that "keeps" them, but they are everywhere. Good thing too. I saw no Honey Bees on my property for about 15 years....None! Wild Honey Bees have been hovering on the border of extinction for a long time now. Yet, my fruit trees always set fruit. Mason type bees have been carrying the load.
So, now I need a permit, for the Mason Bees, that nest in the odd nooks and crannies of my shingled house? Phfft.
My advice is to ignore the morons in local government and do whatever you feel like doing. Keep chickens if you want to. Everyone else does. As long as you don't keep a Rooster, and you don't develop a rat problem, it is unlikely that anyone will notice.
Regarding Mason Bees....It is unlikely that the autocrat at vector control, knew what a Mason Bee was. Just enjoying flexing a little bureaucratic muscle, most likely.
And, as for getting into trouble. Look in the mirror, and say out loud...."I'm too old to go back to prison; If I get tagged for keeping Mason Bees....I won't let them take me alive!"
That should put things in perspective.
" title="Laughing" />Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
1 Guest(s)