Mason Bee Homes

A Year With Bees

Spring

When native plants start to blossom set out clean Pro Bee Blocks and any colonized nests from the previous season. I watch the colonized Pro Bee Block and when the majority of the holes are open and the new nest has a lot of activity chances are most of the bees have emerged from the old Pro Bee Block . Through observation you will learn to tell when to take down the old Pro Bee Block .

If you are not sure if all the Mason bees are out you can put the block into a cardboard box with a 3/8 hole in the side near the bottom edge and place it near the new ProBee Block. When the stragglers emerge from the block they will go to the light from the hole and join the working ranks.

If you see a Mason bee going in and out of the cardboard box don't worry it may be trying to nest inside, when you remove the Pro Bee Block for cleaning it will go elsewhere. Additionally if you see a Mason bee that has gathered pollen, yellow on the bottom of the abdomen, going into a old hole before your ready to take the old block down , it is easily stopped by inserting a 2 inch common nail to seal off the hole, pointy end first until the head is flush with the edge of the hole. Of course wait till the bees is not inside!

Once your previous seasons Pro Bee Block is empty it can be cleaned and put back up to multiply your base population or if you're happy with the number of bees you have, stow the block away for next year. The thing to remember is you always want to have a clean block on hand for next season. Cleaning is easy; submerge the block in a bucket of water, maybe put a rock on it to hold it under, for ten minutes. This will loosen all the debris in the holes, then use the garden hose to blast everything out. To sterilize put it in the oven at 150F for ½ an hour and your annual maintenance is done.

Late Spring

You have enjoyed watching your Mason bees for the last 5 or 6 weeks. The bees are no longer coming and going, nesting activity is over. Hopefully you now have many sealed holes filled with next years developing bees. Now you want to carefully store your blocks, out of any direct sunlight, in a dry shed, garage etc. to keep them away from outside predators. Be very careful not to bump them.

It is important that the storage place will not heat up much beyond ambient temperatures as this will accelerate their development and they will be fully formed before proper hibernation time. The danger of this is that they will now prematurely be living on their body fat reserves and will be in a depleted state when winter rolls around and chances are they will starve to death or emerge in the spring in a weakened state.

When storing, place the blocks with the cavity entrance the same as when they were hanging on the wall. The larvae orientate themselves so they don't develop facing the back of the hole which is a death sentence- as they attempt to emerge they move toward the inner portion of the nest and ultimately die within the nest , possibly killing other bees in the process. If you stack blocks on top of each other, make sure to insert a spacer to allow airflow over each block.

Summer

Watch your crops grow while your bees are busy in their homes developing.

Fall

Enjoy your harvest! Your bees are now fully developed in cocoons entering hibernation and waiting for next spring. Ensure your blocks are not subject to extreme cold but not warm either: 32F - 41F (0-5C) is a good range. Don't worry too much about it; if your bees are from your area, ambient winter temps are what they are accustomed to. They can stand weeks of freezing temps. Some people store them in a refrigerator.

Winter

Christmas is coming!. Mason bee homes are great gifts especially if you've had the foresight to have additional blocks partially colonized that you can pass along.