In the February 3 2024 Times Colonist there is an article which poses the question about the ability of natural pollinators to withstand temperature swings. Although UBC researcher Alison McAfee is quoted about the effects of high temperatures being hazardous to bumblebee populations since false springs could make the bees emerge prematurely from hibernation, there is a strong possibility that other native pollinators such as mason bees which normally would emerge when daytime temperatures reach 13 degrees C, could also be affected. This is another reason for overwintering your cocoons in a controlled temperature location like a refrigerator. Controlling when you release the bees ensures that they will not be impacted by increasingly dramatic shifts in temperature. (Of course those who don’t look after their cocoons by cleaning out the tubes in the fall and storing the cocoons in a cold location risk more than temperature change, as parasites will probably take control of their bee populations anyway!)
