With a variety of information out on the internet on the best tubes to use for Mason Bee culture, I thought I would report here on some of the trials I have run last season which compared different tubes and nestboxes.
Someone gave me these white plastic/paper tubes which were being marketed. For two years now they have not produced a single successful cocoon when placed alongside of Phragmites tubes.
Note how this may also show that the bees had a preference for tubes which did not stick out so far.. Ill have to set up a better test for this year.
In 2018 I placed Phragmitestubes alongside of the commercially available plastic hinged boxes.
For the question .. does availability of the number of nesting tubes determine the success rate?
In the same location as the samples above , I also had a larger supply of tubes available with the following result.. I haven’t calculated the % of successful tubes here. Note also the dimensions of the box.. I used maximum length Phragmites tubes for this box.
It has been so cool in the last month here in Metchosin that my mason bees have almost missed the peach and nectarine blooming time.
The nectarines bloom a few days after the peaches, but they were out by April 7
The native flowering currants were even a month late this year.
A peach tree on the left with blossoms deteriorating, and a nectarine on the right at the south side of my barn. Three Mason bee houses are in the centre.
Update–April 15: Today they were the most active i have seen them . I started putting a few cocoons out a week ago, and have warmed up some indoors by just removing their containers from the fridge and then setting the jar out in the daytime when the sun is on them. Anyway a very unusual cold start for the spring.
Note the open jar top right I put out for release of bees when the sun is out
The small compartments also hold a supply of cocoons which will hatch naturally when the temperature warms up. 13-14 degree C is necessary.
I have several kinds of houses placed on the southeast corner of our house.
Note, I have re-dated this 2017 post to make it appear with the other mason bee posts.
NOTE: I have updated this 2016 post in order to make it appear closer to the other mason bee information
The time to put out your mason bees which have been overwintered in your refrigerator is when you need them to do their work. I release mine in batches. The first batch was several weeks ago when the peaches and nectarines were in bloom. This week, the pears, plums and cherries are in bloom so I just put out another batch of cocoons near my bee homes. I will save the last batch for my apple trees which bloom later.
Cheery blossoms in full bloom this week.
Red Pear just coming out
20th Century Pear in bloom
Currants have small flowers but are still loved by the pollinators
Don’t forget the native plants like this flowering currant need pollinators too
Marsh marigolds, the first pond plants to bloom, will seed themselves if well pollinated.
I had to transplant this peach tree this year to the corner of the vegetable preparation building so I found another good spot to place a bee home.
NOTE: I have updated this 2016 post in order to make it appear closer to the other mason bee information.
Don’t forget to make sure that your mason bees can find a good source of mud while they are laying their eggs in your tubes. I discovered a year ago that if you provide a reliable source within a few metres of the bee houses, they will use less energy to gather mud and will therefore be more efficient.
mason bee crawls into the side tunnel
See this post I did. Another observation has led me to believe that they prefer to collect mud in horizontal holes in the side of a trench. This trench is kept wet throughout the nest-building period, and I dig holes into the walls of the trench. It is probably an adaptation to prevent predation, as they would be easy targets on an open patch of wet soil. They also prefer “clayish ” mud, as any good mason knows that their mud needs to be sticky… Sandy doesn’t do it!
This year I gathered some freshly exposed clay and added it to my mud trench.
Holes drilled in clay for a mud source for mason bees
NOTE: I have updated this 2015 post in order to make it appear closer to the other mason bee information
Last years stems of Phragmites in estuary/marsh being harvested for mason bee tubes. It is important that this is done only before new shoots start to emerge. I have a theory that this native Phragmites exists in this marsh only because the marsh was fenced in the early years to prevent grazing by cattle and sheep. It has been eliminated from most of the other marshes in BC by grazing (personal communication with Robert Prescott-Allen). The reason this marsh was fenced was that the plantTriglochin maritima (Sea arrow grass) grows in the marsh and it is toxic to grazers.
NOTE: I have updated this 2016 post in order to make it appear closer to the other mason bee information
Occasionally I will take a sample of several dozen cocoons that are in cold storage and test them for viability. The longer they remain in storage before release, the more likely that some parasites will get a better head start.
Once the temperatures are up on sunny days, cocoons placed out near their prospective homes will start cutting their way out of the cocoons and fly off to get materials to fill their own tubes for the coming year. If there are remaining cocoons unopened after a week and a half of warm weather, then it may be worthwhile to check them for parasites. You can open a cocoon with a sharp box-cutter blade, carefully picking away at the tough cocoon. If the bees are healthy they will leave within a few minutes. You may encounter the following parasites and if so you should get rid of them. I have included some here that I not quite sure about as well. These parasites are natural, but when, as with many monocultures we concentrate many of one species together, the chance of pests finding a good place to thrive is increased.
The “mono wasp larvae may be in 2 or 3 of the 2 dozen tubes.
These mummified bees are probably bearing many parasites eating them live from the inside.
It is not clear what this parasite is but small exoskeletons can be seen when the cocoon is opened. Be sure to get rid of these bees in order to stop the spread of parasites
Small exoskeletons taken from next to the bees body inside the cocoon.
This small plaque indicates a parasite has tried to gain entrance to the cocoon. Some of the cocoons with these will be dead, others not??
Plaques with a tiny hole in the centre in several cocoons.
The small black cigars are frasse, (insect manure.)
NOTE: I have updated this 2015 post in order to make it appear closer to the other mason bee information
I will use this page to mount pictures sent back by customers who have made their own houses out of recycled materials or have set up experiments to test the materials.
Jim used a router and made grooves on two sides of 1 inch boards and then built a fancy house to protect it. The bees will put their cocoons directly in the hollow holes and then the pieces can be opended up for cleaning later in the fall.
Jim’s box head on
Jean-Paul has a test going comparing the Phragmites tubes with plastic straws in holes drilled into a wooden block. We will be intertested in seeing the results of this trial. I’ll bet on the reed tubes!
There are various values in the commercial community in regards to increasing the presence of Mason Bees as pollinators. Some items for growing Mason bees currently on the market tend to appeal more to the human than the bee, and people are willing to pay for these.
However in order to increase the populations of Mason Bees for our interests in pollination of our plants, more emphasis could be placed on providing homes that bees find favourable for their sole purpose: that of increasing their progeny.
At recent “Seedy Saturday” events, I have been encouraging people to use recycled materials to build houses and then to send back pictures of what type of structure they have come up with. Below are a few examples for a start.
Pallet wood is ideal for making houses holding tubes. This design holds 2 dozen Phragmites stems. The small plastic bottles taped to the side are for cocoon release.
A plastic peanut butter jar with a wire mesh over the mouth to prevent bird predation.
This is a 2 inch water pipe which holds 2 dozen tubes.
A pill bottle with a hole (covered with tape until release) for the bees to exit is attached to the water pipe
A 3 inch drain pipe holds over 4 dozen.
A metal coffee tin holds a large number of tubes.
This is the size of box I use with a small compartment for cocoon release. Above are two sections of plastic wood decking with empty Phragmites stems inserted. .
A honey container has an ideal sized hole in the cap to allow release of bees from their cocoons. The idea of this protective container is to prevent predation. Don’t leave this in the direct sunlight however as condensation will accumulate inside.
A pill bottle with a hole for the bees to exit is attached to the water pipe
I do have available for sale several of these 2 inch water pipes with 2 dozen + tubes inside for $15.00.
NOTE: I have updated this 2016 post in order to make it appear closer to the other mason bee information
