[Objectives]  To investigate the effect of maintaining sutiable habitat around apple orchards on populations of Osmia excavata, an important pollinator of apple trees in northern China. [Methods]  We compared O. excavata abundance at eighteen sites in four habitats types (core and edge of apple orchards, and core and edge of surrounding habitat). Plastic nests, reed nests and stickytraps were used to monitor numbers of O. excavata and those of its natural enemy Sapyga coma  [Results]  The stickytrap survey results indicate that the population of O. excavata was higher in the surrounding habitat (65%±17%) than in apple orchards (35%±12%). More nests were found in reed nest tubes placed in surrounding habitat (69%±26%) than in apple orchards (31%±9%) but there was no significant difference in the number of nests found in plastic nest tubes in apple orchards (48%±13%) and those in the surrounding habitat (52%±13%). The habitat around apple orchards can provide stable foraging and nesting sites for O. excavata released in orchards. [Conclusion]  O. excavata populations are affected by the habitat around apple orchards. Wild habitat around apple orchards provides pollinator insects such as O. excavata with habitat space and food resources. Consideration should therefore be given to protecting and planting more flowering plants around apple orchards to provide more suitable habitat and supplementary food sources for O. excavata.