Yes, that's right -- I said bees!

Certain kinds of bees can be harmless, good for the environment, simple to encourage, and very entertaining.

When most people think of bees, they think Africanized killer honey bees or bumblebees angrily boiling out of a hive.

Not Aggressive and Useful

However, hive bees usually aren't very aggressive unless the hive is threatene, and many species of bees are solitary and friendly. They won't sting unless you try to squash them, and these solitary bees pollinate a variety of plants.

Easy to Keep

You can keep a species of solitary bee just by ordering a canister of dormant bees, chilling it in the refrigerator, and hanging it out next spring.

Active in Early Summer

The bees will hatch out, pollinate fruit trees and plants for several weeks, then return to lay eggs for the next season. You can take down the canister in the fall, cap, and refrigerate until the next spring.

Which Bees?

The species of bee you'll want to order depends on where you live and what is available from suppliers. The mason bee, however, is the easiest to find, buy, and release.

Orchard Mason Bees

For orchard mason bees, aka blue orchard bees, those of you west of the Continental Divide here in the United States can order Osmia californica or Osmia lignaria propinqua, a western subspecies, while Osmia lignaria lignaria, the eastern subspecies, will florish in most parts of the U.S east of the Continental Divide.

Both the eastern subspecies Osmia lignaria lignaria and the hornfaced orchard bee (em>Osmia cornifrons) may be hard to find, especially in small quantities for a small outdoor area.

Where to Buy Bees

I'm collecting a growing list of bee suppliers and merchants of bee products, but here a few to get you started:

• Knox Cellars
• Pollinator Paradise

Disclaimer: I earn commissions on these products where I can, but not all merchants have affiliate programs. I don't hold it against them and list them anyway.