Mason Bees will not survive without our help.
In the past, Mason Bees were very easy to raise. We used to drill holes in logs, put out straws or bamboo sticks. Wherever the Mason Bees could enter to place pollen and her larva. They would stay outside all year, including the winter. In spring, they would emerge and pollinate our fruit trees and gardens without a problem.
Times have changed; it’s very difficult for people who used to raise Mason Bees in the past to change from their old habits. If we don’t take them seriously, in 10 years, we will have none or very few Mason Bees in nature, which is a big problem for us because one out of every three bites of food we consume is pollinated by bees.
The only chance Mason Bees have for survival is for us to provide them with proper nesting blocks. The nesting blocks to use must separate where you have access to her cocoons to remove them and destroy all predators that are in the nesting blocks.
The Mason Bees have many predators that will enter their home to destroy them. The main predator is the Houdini fly and mites. Read about the Houdini fly in my website under more than/information.
Proper housing and nesting blocks will help the Mason Bees immensely with eliminating many of the predators that are there and destroy them.
What is the proper house for Mason Bees?
The proper nesting blocks for Mason Bees are planks that will separate where you have easy access to her cocoons when you clean them in October to check for predators and destroy them.
Therefore, never use:
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Bamboo Sticks can only be used for one season. Every fall, you will have to break them open and remove the Mason Bee cocoons so you can destroy the Houdini fly and other predators. If you’re not willing to replace them every year, please do not use them.
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Drilling holes in logs is not recommended as it becomes a breeding ground for predators.
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Straws are not recommended to use as it is difficult to harvest the cocoons
Straws are OK if they are taken apart and cleaned, but in most cases, they are not taken apart and cleaned because it’s a lot more work than people expect. Therefore, I’m totally against them.
I will not supply or distribute my Mason Bees to anyone unless they have the proper nesting blocks for the Mason Bees. I do not want to be part of contaminating your neighborhood or having my Mason Bees destroyed by predators.
