Japanese Knotweed Bee Houses (FREE!)

Japanese knotweed is a frustrating invasive; it overruns and denudes our landscape and should generally be eradicated. It grows quickly and is difficult to remove. Finding as many uses for Japanese knotweed makes sense, as it is now abundant and largely unavoidable. One such use is making a habitat for the mighty mason bee (Osmia spp.). A native pollinator, mason bees awake in spring to make nests in snug crevices using mud and clay (hence the name mason!). Japanese knotweed provides an ideal structure for a mason bee nest.  

Find out more about the mason bee's natural history, and learn to use Japanese knotweed stalks to make a mason bee house. We'll cover identification (both plant and bee), mason bee life cycle, best gathering practices, materials storage and processing, bee house assembly, and best placement of bee houses. 

NOTE: This class will be held entirely outdoors, rain or shine. Please dress appropriately. 

Donations of any amount are not required, but will always be greatly appreciated. Rewild Maine is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We depend on donations from the community to offer free classes and workshops and we are grateful for your support. Financial aid and scholarships are available for paid classes on an as-needed basis and nobody will ever be turned away for lack of funds. All donations are tax-deductible.