Mason Bees & Bats at the Library
It all started with our Mason Bee tree located on the Storyhouse balcony. Now we have added a bat box and bat garden to our rooftop garden. Here are our favourite resources for learning about and helping these friendly and important creatures! We’ve included booklists, videos, and web resources.

- Last updated: March 24, 2023
Mason Bee Resources
These recommended websites are free and easily accessible! All you need is an internet connection.
Have you ever wanted to raise native mason bees in your community garden, backyard, or apartment balcony? Don’t know where to start? In this video, the Library’s resident mason bee expert covers everything you need to know to entice mason bees to your garden this Spring.
This guide published by the Oregon State University Extension Service will teach you how to construct a house using either a block of wood or paper lined carboard tubes.
This video tutorial will show you everything you need to know about how to harvest, wash, and store cocoons prior to Spring emergence. A variety of different nesting materials, including natural reeds and paper tubes, will be reviewed.
This short video created by bethinking.com discusses many interesting facts about solitary bees (mason and leafcutter bees), including their life cycles and how the differ from honeybees.
For those interested in learning how commerical farmers are using mason bees to pollinate larger crops like blueberries and almonds, this YouTube video is an excellent resource.
Beautiful macro-photography accompanies this simple yet informative video about the mason bee's life cycle.
This article about the Library's Mason Bee Tree was published in Vol 8 (2016) Issue 3 of BCLA Perspectives.
Bat Resources
These recommended websites are free and easily accessible! All you need is an internet connection.
Bat Conservation International's mission is to conserve the world’s bats and their ecosystems to ensure a healthy planet.
Bat Week is an annual, international celebration of the role of bats in nature.
The BatCaver program is a partnership between bat researchers and cavers in western Canada.
Community Bat Programs of BC.
NABat is a multi-national, multi-agency coordinated bat monitoring program across North America.
on the shelf
Check these out the next time you’re in the Library.