Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Are any of you guys using mason bees for pollination purposes?? If so, what have you observed so far?? Problems?? Positives?? I'm thinking about adding some for our orchard.
Anybody using Mason Bees ??
- Thread starter Bowsnbucks
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Catscratch
5 year old buck +
I made some boxes for them but never had use. Probably didn't build them right and should have just ordered a kit. Good luck to you if you do get them started.
I plant and promote wildflowers a lot to help pollinators in general. Spend a few minutes watching a wildflower patch (day or night) and you'll be amazed at the sheer volume and variety of pollinators out there.
I plant and promote wildflowers a lot to help pollinators in general. Spend a few minutes watching a wildflower patch (day or night) and you'll be amazed at the sheer volume and variety of pollinators out there.
Someone had a box of mason bee cocoons shipped to me this winter as the gift to buy someone who says he doesn't need anything. I put them in my refrigerator. I found a few cutoff ends of lumber around and drilled 5/16" diameter X 6" deep holes in the ends. I'll hang those on tree fences. I did some checking on what flowers mason bees feed on in my area when the apple trees are not blossoming. I recognized a couple of those plants as perennials growing naturally in other locations. I may be able to just transplant them. I also bought a small packet of seed on-line as backup. I plan to put some chicken wire around the flowers. I think all that leaves is scrounging up a little clay dirt before bee release time. I'm going to release them in a grove of apple trees that I think has been underproducing given the size of the trees.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I'm glad this thread bumped up. I still have to get the lumber I need to build a few mason bee shelters. I'm waiting to hear back from a PSU prof. that is a bee specialist to advise me on starting them the right way, and if I can attract native mason bees w/o buying cocoons. I'll post what he tells me.
Little big horn
A good 3 year old buck
was also looking into mason bees for pollination help or putting a honey bee hive close any thoughts or advice welcome thanks
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
I did hear back from the PSU prof. He told me that making proper nesting houses should attract a variety of hole-nesting, solitary bees. Holes of varying diameters will provide nesting sites for a variety of native pollinators. He did say that the best way to insure having mason bees in our orchard is to buy cocoons and put them out right near the bee "houses" so they can find the holes once they hatch. Having clay-ish mud available is critical to nesting success when they lay eggs. Having paper liners in the nest holes is the easiest way to extract the eggs/cocoons once the season is over and the liners help keep the holes cleaner than just bare holes in the wood.
IkemanTx
5 year old buck +
Mites are often a problem with mason bees, and the paper sleeves help drastically in reducing their population. You can clean them by tumbling in coarse sand, then place the cocoons back in a box near the homes.
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I set the box of mason bees out when I saw the first swollen apple blossom buds. Some wildflowers were already blossoming. I noticed that all the cocoons were covered with a dark mold. I was skeptical whether they had survived. When I came back a week later, I noted that they had all survived and exited the cocoons.
Tap
5 year old buck +
I have masons. I didnt buy them or build anything for them. They just showed up. The like where the trim meets the T-111 siding on my house and somewhere under my deck, too.
But their favorite place is in my firewood pile. Its 99% hickory and the saw flies bore hundreds of holes in the wood and the masons utilize those holes.
Last winter, I had dozens of masons become active in my home after I brought pieces of wood inside. It killed me to think I was throwing some in my fire.
But their favorite place is in my firewood pile. Its 99% hickory and the saw flies bore hundreds of holes in the wood and the masons utilize those holes.
Last winter, I had dozens of masons become active in my home after I brought pieces of wood inside. It killed me to think I was throwing some in my fire.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Thanks for all the input fellas. Keep 'em coming. All info is good.
Tap - I have them in my firewood pile too - at my home. I have a mix of mainly oak, but also hickory, maple, cherry, and ash. I don't know where they're hiding in there, but they've been regulars here at home for the past 6 or 8 years now. Completely non-aggressive, and despite my peering up close to the wood to see where they come out, never a sting. They were all over our 2 crab apple trees when in blossom.
Tap - I have them in my firewood pile too - at my home. I have a mix of mainly oak, but also hickory, maple, cherry, and ash. I don't know where they're hiding in there, but they've been regulars here at home for the past 6 or 8 years now. Completely non-aggressive, and despite my peering up close to the wood to see where they come out, never a sting. They were all over our 2 crab apple trees when in blossom.
Tap
5 year old buck +
I love them little guys. They buzz around right in my face and I know they won't sting. Funny, I can curse and complain about "nature" when fighting an invasive weed, and then get a big smile when a mason is cruising around my face.
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Mine came from Crown bees, arriving around April 20th, with instructions to release them by May 1st. With our late spring, May 1st came and went without it being warm enough to release them, and with nothing in bloom to provide nectar and pollen. I finally released them on the 10th, with 4 of 20 out of their cacoons in the fridge. I did see a couple more fighting their way out of cacoons after release, but most never did. Since then the weather has been either rainy, or cold or windy, but I did manage to see one female climbing into and back out of a nesting tube. don't think they'll have much effect on my pollination this year. Hopefully some local masons will find my tubes.
Little big horn
A good 3 year old buck
I had same experience got cacoons from crown bees may 1st we released them and all hatched around our trees in bloom and did see a couple of queens using tubes and had one sealed with mud but otherwise it seems like they just disappear after hatching very wet cold here in iowa since.we tried a couple different spots to release and results were the same was neat to see one mudded over tube
yoderjac
5 year old buck +
I'm using them, but not by design. I used to have honey bees galore on my clover and buckwheat, but I haven't seen any for years. So, mason bees have been my primary pollinator. A friend of mine just asked if he could put honey bees on our farm and I jumped at the opportunity. He will share the honey and I hope to get better pollination as a result.
Thanks,
jack
Thanks,
jack
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
They need mud. Having a close, ready source is important. Clayish type soil for the mud.
