winter aridity, no problem!

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James Cane

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Sep 12, 2025, 6:47:47 PMSep 12

to Bee Monitoring

Hi Beepeople,

I have a new paper out that might interest a few of you, or at least guide you to wintering parameters for any captive populations of megachilids that you may have.

The simple story is that Osmia and Megachile (cavity-nesting ones) winering in their cocoons exchange water vapor with the brood cell atmosphere, but they survive an entire winter over Drierite at measured 0% humidity, or as humid as 88%! I've made raisins before, so I certainly did not expect that.

Paper is here: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16090946

yerz, jim

James H. Cane

Native bee and pollination ecologist

Emeritus USDA-ARS Bee Lab, Logan, Utah

owner - WildBeecology

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jim-Cane

https://www.zotero.org/jimbee

https://sites.google.com/view/jimcanewildbeecology/home

"Knowledge and comprehension are the joy and justification of humanity"
Alexander von Humboldt

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