How interesting! I haven't tried mail ordering any insects as my yard doesn't seem to have a shortage of them but might consider it in the future. I do still have a good number of bumblebees but seem to be seeing less normal bees than in past years.
The mason bees need a clay source , maybe if you would keep a more abundant source of clay they would stay , also solitary bees are somewhat plant species specific , grow more of the plants and flowers they need .
I've noticed that the Mason bees really like to have a water source and or a mud source and if they don't have that nearby they will just roll out to another area. I've been looking everywhere for red Mason bees to buy and I can't find them.
@@gapey en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmia_bicornis apparently there are hundreds of different species and I've actually seen native ones around my house that are closer to looking like a honeybee just smaller.
What part of the country do you live in? Everything I've read and watched have come from people living in the North West. I live in Tennessee and I know I have Mason bees but I don't know what kind. I just ordered some tubes and inserts and will build my own bee house. Can't wait for next spring. Also, I like your honeybees! I raise them, too! Thanks for your video!
I'm in the Pacific Northwest. I didn't know there were different kinds of mason bees but maybe. The bees that this house are primarily for are leaf cutter bees which use smaller tubes and are active after the mason bees. Mason bees are spring bees so they aren't around in the summer. I do see some other bees using my tubes besides the leaf cutters this year though but not sure what bees they are.
@@gapey Yes I have some that make their nests in my balcony garden in crevices of the wall , hollows of curtain rods etc , they love to forage on moringa and any kind of bean leaves that are growing in my garden .
Oh no, that's not good. Do you leave it out year round? I bring mine in at the end of summer and store in my shed until around June when rainy season is over here.
If it is only the female bee that cuts leaves ..what do male bees do ? …also how do you know in the box of bees you receive if there is females and males bees ..if you have a box of all male bees then the bee house is of no use ..I am just learning about leaf cutting bees as they are slowly destroying the leaves on my cherry tree which is only a year old so not many branches and leaves ..
I know males are smaller than females but not sure you can tell which is which by looking at the size of the cocoon. I know with mason bees it's fairly easy to tell the size difference but leaf cutters are smaller and the difference isn't as visible. With the number of cocoons you get, it's unlikely you would get all the same sex. Like males of most bee species, their only real purpose in life is to mate with the females. They don't really do much else. That's how it is with honey bees and am assuming it is probably the same with other types of bees.
Nice video and close up of the newly hatched bee. Very cool
Thanks. They are cute!
Thank you for making such a straight to the point and up close vid. Blessings from northern california.
You're welcome! Hope you have lots of bees in your garden.
How interesting! I haven't tried mail ordering any insects as my yard doesn't seem to have a shortage of them but might consider it in the future. I do still have a good number of bumblebees but seem to be seeing less normal bees than in past years.
Nice! bumblebees are great pollinators too. I haven't seen a lot of them this year.
The new intro and video setup looks awesome. Third pepper season watching the channel. I have these leaf cutters here in TX.
Great! Glad you are still here. Hope your peppers are doing well this season. Mine are being taken over by bush beans this year! lol
Gapeys Grub it’s been my best year yet here in Texas! Your channel has been a huge help.
The mason bees need a clay source , maybe if you would keep a more abundant source of clay they would stay , also solitary bees are somewhat plant species specific , grow more of the plants and flowers they need .
I've noticed that the Mason bees really like to have a water source and or a mud source and if they don't have that nearby they will just roll out to another area.
I've been looking everywhere for red Mason bees to buy and I can't find them.
I haven't heard of red mason bees.
@@gapey en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmia_bicornis apparently there are hundreds of different species and I've actually seen native ones around my house that are closer to looking like a honeybee just smaller.
Very cool!
What part of the country do you live in? Everything I've read and watched have come from people living in the North West. I live in Tennessee and I know I have Mason bees but I don't know what kind. I just ordered some tubes and inserts and will build my own bee house. Can't wait for next spring. Also, I like your honeybees! I raise them, too! Thanks for your video!
I'm in the Pacific Northwest. I didn't know there were different kinds of mason bees but maybe. The bees that this house are primarily for are leaf cutter bees which use smaller tubes and are active after the mason bees. Mason bees are spring bees so they aren't around in the summer. I do see some other bees using my tubes besides the leaf cutters this year though but not sure what bees they are.
Very neat 👌🐝🐝🐝
They are! They're great little pollinators.
@@gapey Yes I have some that make their nests in my balcony garden in crevices of the wall , hollows of curtain rods etc , they love to forage on moringa and any kind of bean leaves that are growing in my garden .
My house is falling apart after having it a month. 😔 It's not weatherproof.
Oh no, that's not good. Do you leave it out year round? I bring mine in at the end of summer and store in my shed until around June when rainy season is over here.
If it is only the female bee that cuts leaves ..what do male bees do ? …also how do you know in the box of bees you receive if there is females and males bees ..if you have a box of all male bees then the bee house is of no use ..I am just learning about leaf cutting bees as they are slowly destroying the leaves on my cherry tree which is only a year old so not many branches and leaves ..
I know males are smaller than females but not sure you can tell which is which by looking at the size of the cocoon. I know with mason bees it's fairly easy to tell the size difference but leaf cutters are smaller and the difference isn't as visible. With the number of cocoons you get, it's unlikely you would get all the same sex. Like males of most bee species, their only real purpose in life is to mate with the females. They don't really do much else. That's how it is with honey bees and am assuming it is probably the same with other types of bees.