Mason Bee Nest Care SPRING: February – May
You can
release your mason bees anytime from February until May. You can delay their
dormancy by placing them in a cool environment below 55 degrees, but do not
hold them past May because they may starve and die. Place your mason bee nest
on an east or southeast facing wall under the eaves of your house or
shed. Fill your nest with new nesting material (tubes and liners). Next,
place your dormant bees that you had cleaned and stored over winter on top of
the nesting material or if you purchased one of our mason bee houses, place the cocoons
in the lower hatching box area and secure the faceplate.
In a few weeks you will start to see some activity. The males will emerge first and will be very lethargic. These new little guys are just stretching their wings and ready to start pollinating!
A couple of days after the males emerge, you will see a lot more activity when the females emerge. These are much larger than the males (about twice in size). Mating will occur and also lots of pollination. Be sure to put a pot of mud near the nest. This will help the bees when constructing the cell walls between each egg chamber.
Now, you just need to sit back and enjoy your little bees. They will pollinate up to 100 yards away and several times more than honeybees!
In a few weeks you will start to see some activity. The males will emerge first and will be very lethargic. These new little guys are just stretching their wings and ready to start pollinating!
A couple of days after the males emerge, you will see a lot more activity when the females emerge. These are much larger than the males (about twice in size). Mating will occur and also lots of pollination. Be sure to put a pot of mud near the nest. This will help the bees when constructing the cell walls between each egg chamber.
Now, you just need to sit back and enjoy your little bees. They will pollinate up to 100 yards away and several times more than honeybees!
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