Abstract: A processing unit for solitary bees is utilized in a method of timely providing a sufficient number of bees for pollinating a flowering crop. The processing unit provides secure storage for the solitary bees at every stage of their life cycle, and provides precise control of environmental conditions to ensure that the bees complete each stage of their life cycle in the optimum state of health and viability, and to ensure that adult bees emerge in close agreement with predicted emergence. The processing unit provides for protection against parasites, predators and pathogens, and may provide for feeding and mating of the bees. The processing unit may be used with any type of solitary bee nest. The processing unit may be fabricated in modularized components, allowing for increased capacity as required.

Abstract: A nest for solitary bees may be fashioned from a rectangular solid of either a solid matrix or a number of nest elements. Each side of the nest contains a multiplicity of apertures, where each aperture provides a nesting cavity for the bees. Each aperture has an open end and a closed end. If fashioned from individual nest elements, the orientation of the apertures may be adjusted as desired, such that each element may be stacked upon an adjacent element in one of four orientations, so that the cavities of one element may be at 0°, 90°, 180° or 270° relative to an adjacent element. If desired, the aperture density of each side may be adjusted as desired. The configuration of the nesting cavities of the present invention reduces congestion at nest entrances and provides shelter to the bees from predators and the environment.