mason bee

noun

any of numerous solitary bees, as of the family Megachilidae, that construct nests of clay.

mason bee

any bee of the family Megachilidae that builds a hard domelike nest of sand, clay, etc, held together with saliva

First recorded in 1765–75

The male of the chalicodome or mason-bee is russet, the far more beautiful female is a fine velvety black with deep violet wings.

I have described her as a waster of food when her larva is established, according to custom, in the cell of the Mason-bee.

Mrs. Mason-Bee fills these cells with honey, lays an egg in the honey, and when the babies come along—don't you see?

Well, to make a long story short, these pebbles had on them the little clay cells of the mason-bee.

Mrs. Mason-Bee takes those extra trips because a roadway is so much harder to dig in!

April 24, 2024gallimaufry

[gal-uh-maw-free ]

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