Mason Bees are often referred to as solitary bees because they do not have a social order like honey bees and bumble bees. They do not have a queen or a hive and they do not make honey. However, they are perfectly happy making a nest right next to each other. Mason Bees are such effective pollinators because they have a lot of hair on their body which picks up pollen. Unlike honeybees which clean themselves after each visit to a flower and lose 90% of the pollen, the Mason Bees carry all of their pollen from flower to flower. Mason Bees tend not to sting because they are not a social bee and do not have a hive or a queen to protect. The only way to get one to sting is to squeeze it, and even then it probably won’t sting. Fortunately Mason Bees are not susceptible to the Varroa mite which has caused such havoc with honey bees all over north America.