GREAT INFO! I just got my very first batch (20) of cocoons yesterday. I was prepped for every 'situation' so I thought. They came in a manila envelope and to my surprise, when I opened it up at my office desk, all the bees had hatched. I
Thank you Jen for sharing your knowledge and expertise about caring for Mason bees. You have inspired me to give it a go and provide a habitat for them. Do you know if they have any favourite types of plants that they collect pollen and nectar from?
My granddaughter and I love our mason bees. We use the paper boba straws and they work great. We do use a better protected house for the tubes...plus they are fun to build
Wonderful Jen. I'm up in Washington and have inherited blueberries, apple trees, cherry, plum and asian pear. ALso putting in vegetable garden. can you recommend how many bees and how many tubes I should buy and where? Are those cereal boxes you are putting them in. Can you show how you asseble the boxes to get ready for the bees in spring?
Great info! REALLY wish you would have been closer to your camera or had your camera person zoom in so viewers could see up close the cocoons and nests 😞
This is a tiny bee colony. I wonder if I could have one in the Mobile Home Park and it not get noticed? They could help out my tiny garden. Thank you for introducing me to the Mason Bee.
I just purchased some Mason bees, I have fruit trees that they can pollinate, my question is if in the late fall and they're in the tubes and I want to remove them how do I get them out of the tubes to check on them and clean them up and put them away for the winner. Also do I need to purchase new tunes ever year if there removed from the tunes or can I reuse the old ones? Thanks and look forward to your answer
I just put out new tubes they go too the new tubes and leave the old house and bring in the garage in winter so I’m not screwing with Mother Nature. I live next too an orchard in Yakima Washington and they spray for things like mites etc. if your cleaning your tubes and disrupting the cocoons older houses and tubes i discard every other year. I notice they don’t reuse the old nests if fresh ones out. The Mason bee will also find holes in your yard to lay eggs. I think people disrupt the cycle by washing and cleaning the nests. I found a rental company that rents you everything and cleans your nests every year. I found that they killed off the offspring by doing this. The human race is disrupting the nature of the Mason bee. It’s best too just leave it too Mother Nature and help by just putting out new nests each year and discard the old houses.
It's so easy to blame global warming on everything, isn't it? So you think that these bee's are so unable to adapt to one degree of change that they will all die? I give them more credit than that. Other than that, thanks for the information on these essential insects.
You’ve got to be kidding me right? That is that absolute worst set up for mason bee houses. Get them outta that damn cardboard and put them in a proper house. With protection from predators and the weather. This is horrible advise.
GREAT INFO! I just got my very first batch (20) of cocoons yesterday. I was prepped for every 'situation' so I thought. They came in a manila envelope and to my surprise, when I opened it up at my office desk, all the bees had hatched. I
Who would have known that we have embarked on the most fascinating journey?!!!!!!
Thank you Jen for sharing your knowledge and expertise about caring for Mason bees. You have inspired me to give it a go and provide a habitat for them. Do you know if they have any favourite types of plants that they collect pollen and nectar from?
Your comment on natural selection is right on.
My granddaughter and I love our mason bees. We use the paper boba straws and they work great. We do use a better protected house for the tubes...plus they are fun to build
I LOVE BEES
Wonderful Jen. I'm up in Washington and have inherited blueberries, apple trees, cherry, plum and asian pear. ALso putting in vegetable garden. can you recommend how many bees and how many tubes I should buy and where? Are those cereal boxes you are putting them in. Can you show how you asseble the boxes to get ready for the bees in spring?
Thanks for your information.
Great info! REALLY wish you would have been closer to your camera or had your camera person zoom in so viewers could see up close the cocoons and nests 😞
Great information! I live in Louisiana in suburbia and have many more mason bees hanging around than honeybees. These bees are aggressive pollinators!
This is a tiny bee colony. I wonder if I could have one in the Mobile Home Park and it not get noticed? They could help out my tiny garden. Thank you for introducing me to the Mason Bee.
Very nice work explanation! Where do you get your paper and cardboard tubes?
I just purchased some Mason bees, I have fruit trees that they can pollinate, my question is if in the late fall and they're in the tubes and I want to remove them how do I get them out of the tubes to check on them and clean them up and put them away for the winner. Also do I need to purchase new tunes ever year if there removed from the tunes or can I reuse the old ones? Thanks and look forward to your answer
How big of a hole do you recommend drilling into the side of the box?
Do you need to save the bee bread if you are placing them in a box?
I just put out new tubes they go too the new tubes and leave the old house and bring in the garage in winter so I’m not screwing with Mother Nature. I live next too an orchard in Yakima Washington and they spray for things like mites etc. if your cleaning your tubes and disrupting the cocoons older houses and tubes i discard every other year. I notice they don’t reuse the old nests if fresh ones out. The Mason bee will also find holes in your yard to lay eggs. I think people disrupt the cycle by washing and cleaning the nests. I found a rental company that rents you everything and cleans your nests every year. I found that they killed off the offspring by doing this. The human race is disrupting the nature of the Mason bee. It’s best too just leave it too Mother Nature and help by just putting out new nests each year and discard the old houses.
It's so easy to blame global warming on everything, isn't it? So you think that these bee's are so unable to adapt to one degree of change that they will all die? I give them more credit than that. Other than that, thanks for the information on these essential insects.
Global warming makes the flowers bloom earlier. Global warming makes it too cold for the mason bees. Right....
You’ve got to be kidding me right? That is that absolute worst set up for mason bee houses. Get them outta that damn cardboard and put them in a proper house. With protection from predators and the weather. This is horrible advise.