Mason bees?

[GailC]

Does anyone here raise mason bees? Do you have any tips to easily plug the backend of the tubes?
I used clay but once it dried, the little plugs just fell out. Spent the last 30 minutes gluing the plugs back in place.
Next time I will spend the extra $ and buy crimped tubes but for now, I have 250 that I need to fix up.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

We used wooden beams and just drilled holes at a small upwards angle. No need for plugs!
Otherwise, cut some bamboo just before the node, the node should seal it off.

 

[GailC]

How do you harvest the cocoons for over wintering? They have to be kept in the fridge here and I don't really want a bunch of wood chunks in the fridge.
I suppose I could drill the wood and poke the straws in it so I can still take them out for storage.

I'd love to use bamboo but it doesn't grow here.

 

[sorce]

What is the purpose of harvesting cocoons?

Sounds interesting.

I had a bunch on the side of a mud hole I dug. Cool.

Sorce

 

[GailC]

What is the purpose of harvesting cocoons?

Sounds interesting.

I had a bunch on the side of a mud hole I dug. Cool.

Sorce

To clean them and sort out any bad ones before storing them for the winter.

Since I'm trying to create a sustainable population, its really important I keep their housing clean and disease free.

Also, thats what all the websites say to do. This will be my first season with them. I just found out last week I'm getting some as a gift, not done a huge amount of research yet but at least I have their house made and got the mud.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

We have natural occurring populations, we keep them outdoors at all times. That's where they come from and that's where they stay.
The sick ones will die during the winter and the healthy ones will live.

I don't even know where they get the cement.

I'm just glad I'm counting more honey bees this year. Last year I counted 10. Not a day, but in the entire flowering period of the cherry tree (+/- 10 days).

 

[GailC]

They aren't native here so they'll need a bit of care. We do have teeny little wild bees and leaf cutters. Need to figure out how to attract more of both. I've not had good cherry or plum harvest in a few years.

There are honey bees around but they don't make it here in the spring, guess their are better and bigger trees to hit before mine.

 

[Pitoon]

Plug the end with wax, beeswax preferred if available

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Bees wax is a good idea for plugging holes.

The pollinator we depend on for our blueberry farm is the bumble bee. They are twenty times more effective at pollinating blueberries than honeybees. We can purchase "quad boxes" with 4 hives with separate openings on each corner of a sturdy cardboard box, of bumblebees for about $250. They are enough to pollinate an acre or two of blueberries. Each hive is about 250 bumblebees and a queen bumblebee. We are in Michigan, and they use a species native to Michigan. Pretty cool. You leave the hive out all summer, and they colonize the property for next year.

If you live rural, just get some wildflowers going. An 1/8th acre of wildflowers will attract and keep all manner of solitary bees, mason bees, orchard bees and bumble bees enough for pollinators for a small orchard.

 

[GailC]

Bees started hatching in the fridge. I don't have any flowers, not even weeds. Hopefully a neighbor does.
I will give them supplemental food for now and cross my fingers. Maple tree will be blooming in just a few days.

 

[A. Gorilla]

Illuminati bees.

What?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

That's a good looking bee there.

 

[Pixar]

The pollinator we depend on for our blueberry farm is the bumble bee. They are twenty times more effective at pollinating blueberries than honeybees. We can purchase "quad boxes" with 4 hives with separate openings on each corner of a sturdy cardboard box, of bumblebees for about $250. They are enough to pollinate an acre or two of blueberries. Each hive is about 250 bumblebees and a queen bumblebee. We are in Michigan, and they use a species native to Michigan. Pretty cool. You leave the hive out all summer, and they colonize the property for next year.

i was going to make a Bumble bee nest from a ceramic pot and some mesh and mouse nesting material . You also add some hose so the Bumble bees can gain entry

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Post the plans, I can not visualize how these items go together? Hose?

 

[Pixar]