Bill, you may have had orchard mason bees, a native bee that can be managed effectively for pollination. I had quite a few of them until three years ago when the boxes got parasitized and I lost them all. I did not replace them. But the wild ones keep coming back.
Jerry Mills Mills Apple Farm Southern Illinois --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 'Apple-Crop' LISTSERV is sponsored by the Virtual Orchard <http://www.virtualorchard.net> and managed by Win Cowgill and Jon Clements <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Apple-Crop is not moderated. Therefore, the statements do not represent "official" opinions and the Virtual Orchard takes no responsibility for the content.