Put up a bee house for Mason and leafcutter bees last year. Harvested about 35 cocoons as many were destroyed by insects before I could harvest them. They are busy this year and I am pulling the tubes when filled so I can try to stop the insects getting to them. They are fun to watch and non aggressive. They are also far better pollinators than honey bees.
Mason Bees at work
- Thread starter ZZman
- Start date
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
Very cool, thanks for sharing.
What do you do with the tubes after you pull them?
What do you do with the tubes after you pull them?
I'm not at all sure I understand. Why do you want these around and why are the tubes not reusable? I'm guessing the tubes have larvae in them and the clay?
They are non aggressive and great pollinators for my flowers. They are 2-3 times better pollinators than honey bees
The tubes could possibly be reused if I didn't harvest the cocoons, but cutting open the tubes to harvest the cocoons destroys them. The replacement tubes aren't too expensive so I don't worry about it.
Yes, each tube can have 5-7 larvae in them. Females towards the back of the tubes, males in the front. They seal them off with the clay soil. Very cool and ingenious stuff.
What would they naturally place larvae in?
Holes is
Hollow stems, logs with holes in them etc....
Back when I lived in SW Washington, I was discussing pollinizing blueberries with my county commissioner. He suggested using orchard mason bees. I told him, "I can't, I am Catholic." He just looked at me with a puzzled expression. He was Mason, but that is not really related to the story. Anyway, the commissioner next to him said what I needed was Knights of Columbus bees. Between honey bees, bumble bees and other insects, we always managed decent pollinization. Bees are not the only insects that spread pollin.
No. They are just pollinators. They are non aggressive because they are solitary bees and aren't trying to protect a hive.
