Burnaby seems to be going to the bees - at least that's the hope of groups who have been busy upkeeping bee condos across the city.
With the decline of the honeybee, whose life's work is to pollinate flowers and keep the cycle of life ongoing, the City of Burnaby has an informal parks program that is putting bee condos up for the Blue Orchid Mason Bee, which acts - and looks - much like a birdhouse.
Unlike honey bees, mason bees do not require any upkeep or provide honey - and they are more effective pollinators.
In an effort to improve city green spaces and increase wildlife habitat, the city wants to help the plight of the pollinators suffering from habitat loss, disease and pesticides.
For the last two years, the Cameron Seniors Garden Club at Cameron Recreation Complex is one of the groups working with the city, and acts as steward to a mason bee condo, according to one of the club members, Rosemary Appleton.
"Well, we're enjoying it," said Appleton, who's in charge of the garden club. "Because the honeybees are dying out we have to find something to replace them."
In the spring, the group puts the mason bee larvae into the condo to hatch.
Then, when it starts to get colder in the fall, new larvae are taken from the condo and stored until the following spring. This is the only time any bee upkeep is warranted.
"They're actually stored in the refrigerator at Cameron rec centre," she said of her club's bee larvae. "They'll be there until they're ready."
Appleton said she and the members of her group have found the experience rewarding.
"We had no idea what we were doing when we first started, but we've gone ahead with it," she added. "I think we're doing a service.
"If there's no bees, no food for us."
She said members actively educate themselves and each other by attending workshops and scouring for articles about mason bees.
Sue McIntyre, program coordinator for the seniors at the centre, said it's quite a process to store the cocoons, which are now in the centre's fridge.
"In the winter of 2011, we took the cocoons and visited elementary schools," she said.
The bee condo at Cameron is located near a flower bed that was specifically planted to keep the mason bees happy, according to McIntyre.
"Last spring, we met with (various elementary school) students and planted insect-friendly plants . near the bee condos," she added.
There are four places with bee condos, including at Taylor Park and Richard Bolton Park. Recently, Cameron centre held a workshop hosted by the City of Burnaby and led by the Environmental Youth Alliance.
"With all the development going on, there are not a lot of places for bee activity and the habitat for bees is disappearing," said Melinda Yong, environment technician for the City of Burnaby. "Bees and butterflies are beneficial insects."
Yong initiated the informal program three years ago and says it's not an official project because she does not have the time to pull it off.
"Every year we make a call for potential participants to adopt a bee condo and we get about one new volunteer a year," she said. "If we have a volunteer or family member or group interested in adopting a bee condo near a park, we'll install the bee condo and the volunteer will look after it."
Yong said she purchases the condos for about $65 at GardenWorks in Burnaby.
For more information or to volunteer call, 604-294-7690, or email invasive [email protected].
