BeeKeepClub Resources and Guides for Beekeepers
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Extras to mason bee houses such as these mason beekeeping accessories help you provide best conditions for the solitary bees. Taking care of mason bees and meeting their needs requires you to go beyond just providing a suitable habitat. Use these accessories to get the best results in keeping mason bees. Mason bees that are taken good care of give you a thriving nest of pollinators. You get a large population of the bees every year and your plants are pollinated in the best way. These mason bee accessories are made using quality materials by reputable manufacturers. You are sure they work well and are safe for use with humans, insects and animals.
Overview of the Best Mason Beekeeping Accessories
17. Spring Total Accessories Package for Mason Bees
Get this package for its impressive mix of mason beekeeping accessories. In the package you get mason bee attractant, mud for your mason bees to use in making a nest and a BeeGuard bag. Additionally, Crown Bees includes the HumidiBee Cocoon Humidifier and the third (3rd) edition of the Native Bee Guide mason beekeeping book. The package adds convenience into your mason beekeeping operation.
Pros
The Spring Total Accessories Package for Mason Bees packages a complete set of accessories for both beginner and experienced beekeepers. You get all items at the same time for use in your mason beekeeping operation.
Cons
Individual mason beekeepers may not be in need of all the items included in this package. Some may even receive items they will never use, e.g. beekeepers that do not use attractant since they already have enough cocoons.
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16. InvitaBee™ Plus+ Mason Bee Attractant
Use the InvitaBee™ attractant to bring more mason bees to your mason bee house. The attractant works with both mason bees and other solitary bees such as leafcutter bees. It is therefore a treasure to beekeepers that are interested in keeping many native bee species. Having more than one species ensures you get pollination services from the bees in both spring and summer seasons.
Pros
This attractant is easy to use. It comes in a bottle that is easy to work with. Using the attractant is straightforward. 5 nesting tubes made of natural reeds included in the package are a welcome bonus for expanding your mason beekeeping operation.
Cons
There are only 5 milliliters of the attractant in this package. Beekeepers going for a large mason beekeeping operation might therefor need several attractant packages to satisfy their needs for the attractant.
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15. HumidiBee™ Cocoon Humidifier for Mason Bees
Keep your mason bee cocoons in optimal storage conditions using the HumidiBee™ Cocoon Humidifier for Mason Bees. It is a compact container for cocoons which keeps them at the right temperature and humidity level. The case is see-through, so visual inspection of cocoons does not need you to open up the case. An absorbent pad in the case holds water for long and helps maintain the proper humidity level inside the case. The case works well with your fridge to allow safe and secure storage of mason bee cocoons.
Pros
Large volume of this mason bee cocoon storage case makes it very good for both small and large mason beekeeping operations.
Cons
This case is not insulated. Therefore, when it is in use storing mason bee cocoons, it needs to stay in a cooled environment all the time.
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14. Spring Mason Bee Mud Mix
Provide your mason bees with some mud for their nest building using this mud mix. The Spring Mason Bee Mud Mix is 8oz of clayey mud that is perfect for mason bees. It comes in form of soil that you pour onto the ground and may mix with some water. This mud works well for all beekeepers. A single package of this mud mix supports more than 100 female mason bees making their nests. It can last more than one production cycle with proper use.
Pros
You meet the nesting needs of your mason bees with this mason bee mud mix. Place the mud mix within 25 meters of the mason bee house for best results.
Cons
This mud mix does not come with enough details on how to use it. It should include an instructions guide in the package.
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13. Spring Mason Bee Mud Box
A reliable source of mud for mason bees is important for best results .The Spring Mason Bee Mud Box gives you a complete package of soil and equipment to use in providing mud to mason bees. The package includes water storage, black capillary cloth and a container for wet clayey mud. Proper assembly of the equipment is easy to carry out by both beginner and experienced beekeepers. The box keeps the clayey soil wet for long.
Pros
Capillarity technology used in this device allows mud to stay wet for long so that it is loved by mason bees. It does not need many refills with water to keep the clayey soil wet.
Cons
Making this box using plastic is practical, but it causes the box to be unsuitable for use in beekeeping operation where plastics are not welcome.
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12. Bee Cocoon Hatchery – Green Tube
Benefit by adding this Bee Cocoon Hatchery – Green Tube to the equipment you have in your mason beekeeping operation. It is great for hatching mason bee cocoons in a safe and secure space. The hatchery protects cocoons from predators and weather elements such as rain, sunlight and wind. It has a small hole on the side to allow mason bees escape once they emerge from cocoons. It works well with all mason bee house designs.
Pros
This mason bee cocoon hatchery tube is mad in a functional design and has features that keep cocoons safe. Mason bees are able to easily exit the hatchery tube after emerging from cocoons.
Cons
The Bee Cocoon Hatchery – Green Tube is only for hatching mason bee cocoons. It cannot double up as a long-term storage container for the cocoons in your fridge.
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11. Bee Cocoon Hatchery – Chalet or Tower
Give your mason bees the protection they deserve using the Bee Cocoon Hatchery – Chalet or Tower. This is a rectangular piece of wood that covers the upper section of mason bee chalet and mason bee tower houses. It seals in cocoons and protects them from weather elements and predators. A small hole through the wooden piece gives emerging mason bees an exit out of the hatchery space. It is easy to install and remove.
Pros
The Bee Cocoon Hatchery – Chalet or Tower works well with all Crown Bees mason bee house designs. It is effective in protecting cocoons until mason bees emerge from the cocoons.
Cons
This hatchery cover does not have features to ensure it stays in place. If the attic of your mason bee house does not hold it tight, the wooden piece falls off easily.
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10. BeeGuard Pest Prevention Bag for Hole-nesting Bees
Utilize this mason bee protective bag to keep pests from harming your developing bees. It is a purple-colored bag that can hold several nesting trays or tubes. The bag is sealable at the top so no pests can enter. Its mesh is fine and you can see through it. This bag also allows aeration of nesting trays and tubes in it, so your developing mason bees do not die from lack of oxygen. It is 21 inches deep and 20 inches wide.
Pros
This bag is easy to use in your mason beekeeping operation. Both beginner and experienced beekeepers are able to use it with no difficulties.
Cons
The size of this bag does not work well for beekeepers with many wooden trays to protect. It requires the beekeeper to have many of the bags to satisfy their needs.
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9. Bird Guard for Wood Houses
Keeping your active mason bees and their nests safe from birds just got better with this guard for wooden houses. It is a nicely designed and constructed mesh that is easy to install and remove from mason bee houses. Several options to choose from allow you to get a guard that is designed for your mason bee house. The guard covers the front of the mason bee house. Its mesh size allows mason bees easy passage through the guard.
Pros
A mesh of this Bird Guard for Wood Houses is ¾ inches square. It is suitable for use with mason bees because smaller opening sizes hurt mason bees while bigger openings allow bird beaks through them.
Cons
This guard is built to very specific measurements. It cannot be used on mason bee houses of any design except the cedar bee house type.
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8. Bee Observer – Solitary Bee Observation Tray
Peek into the life and activities of mason bees using the Bee Observer – Solitary Bee Observation Tray. The observation tray is safe to use and easy to work with. Learning about mason bees and teaching visitors to your mason beekeeping operation is easy for you with this tray. It comes with an acrylic lid mounted on a wooden platform so that mason bees feel like they are in a natural nesting tube.
Pros
Design and assembly of this observation tray is simple. It allows for easy use and cleaning of the observation tray. You also have an easy time harvesting cocoons from the tray.
Cons
It is difficult to convert this tray into a regular mason bee nesting tray if you no longer need to observe mason bees at work. The tray becomes unused equipment in the mason beekeeping operation.
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7. InvitaBee Commercial Mason Bee Attractant
Attract more mason bees to make nests in your bee house using the InvitaBee Commercial Mason Bee Attractant. It is a mason bee lure that utilizes a natural formulation of pheromones. The attractant is made in the USA. Use it in both small and large mason beekeeping operations to increase the number of bees in your bee houses. It is approved for use with mason bees and in operations involved in producing food for human consumption.
Pros
The formula for making this attractant causes it to be very effective attracting mason bees to mason bee houses. Use it on the front of nesting tubes for best results.
Cons
A large volume of the attractant fluid in the package can remain unused for long in small beekeeping operations. This makes the attractant suitable for use by only large mason beekeeping operations.
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6. Clean Bee™ Solution
Too much bleach can harm mason bee cocoons when used to clean them. The Clean Bee™ Solution removes this risk by utilizing a naturally occurring compound that kills fungal spores on cocoons with no risk of harming the pupa in the cocoon. This solution is safe for humans, insects and animals. It works well with application of just a little of the solution. You may apply it directly to cocoons or spray it onto the sides of your nesting tubes as a preventive measure.
Pros
A natural compound is used to make this cleaning solution. It is effective and helps keep fungal infections at bay in mason beekeeping operations.
Cons
You need to use up all the Clean Bee™ Solution that you purchase. It needs replacement yearly and can drive your operation costs up if you are a regular user.
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5. Cocoon Comb
Make your harvesting of mason bee cocoons easy and quick using this cocoon comb. It is a perfectly sized tool for gently prying cocoons from nesting tubes. It has two usable ends with spaced teeth: one for 8mm wood trays and the other for 6mm wood trays. This comb works with both natural reed nesting tubes and wooden trays. It enables you to harvest cocoons from many mason bee houses in a short period of time. The Cocoon Comb is made in the USA using high quality recycled materials.
Pros
Having two ends with teeth that are spaced out differently makes this a useful tool. It eases harvesting cocoons from both 6mm and 8mm nesting tubes.
Cons
This is a plastic tool. It does not sit well with mason beekeepers that do not want to use plastics in their beekeeping operations.
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4. CocoonGuard Bag for Native Bee Cocoons
The CocoonGuard Bag for Native Bee Cocoons is a convenient way for storing both mason bee cocoons and leafcutter bee cocoons. It is tough and easy to use. The bag keeps cocoons safe and secure during storage. You can then place the bag in any cooled space that you have. Making this bag has utilized a fine mesh. The mesh is a breathable barrier between your mason bee cocoons and predators that would want to harm them. It allows sufficient aeration of the cocoons so that pupating mason bees remain alive.
Pros
This cocoon storage bag is breathable. It ensures life continues for pupae in their cocoons while protecting the cocoons from harmful predators.
Cons
This bag is not insulated and cannot maintain temperatures inside it at a constant level. For this it is dependent of placement in a cooled space.
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3. Pest Blocker for Wood Trays
The Pest Blocker for Wood Trays is a fabric with antifungal properties. It is great for use in mason bee houses and among nesting tubes to prevent fungi from infecting mason bee cocoons. The piece of fabric is washable and reusable, so it lasts for long in your beekeeping operation. It also acts against parasitic wasps that seek and exploit weak spots in mason bee nests and cocoons. This fabric is easy to use and only requires you to place it along the backside of the wood trays you are using in your mason bee house.
Pros
The Pest Blocker for Wood Trays is made using high quality fabric and is washable. It lasts for long and is effective in preventing pests from hurting your mason beekeeping operation.
Cons
Keeping the fabric that is the Pest Blocker for Wood Trays in place is difficult.
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2. Humidity Gauge
Use this Humidity Gauge to check and make sure that stored mason bee cocoons are in the right storage conditions. The cocoons should be stored in a space with humidity of 60-70%. You are also able to use this humidity gauge as a thermometer since it has temperature readout. It is easy to use and gives accurate readings in a digital display. The gauge runs on batteries that are included in the purchase package. It is hardy equipment, so you can use this gauge periodically or continuously by placing it with your stored cocoons without damaging it.
Pros
You get both temperature and humidity readings with this Humidity Gauge. This solves two problems at once in your storage of mason bee cocoons.
Cons
The readout display of this gauge is not illuminated. This makes reading data from the gauge difficult in low-light environments.
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1. Reusable Bands for Wood Tray Sets
This is a pair of Reusable Bands for Wood Tray Sets. Use them to make sure that your wooden nesting trays stay in place. The rubber bands come from EPDM rubber that is resistant to heat, ozone and weather. It does not deteriorate over time. Get these bands in one or two sizes depending on the best fit for the wood trays you are using. They work well with all sizes of wood trays.
Pros
You have the option of 2 sizes to choose from when purchasing these rubber bands. It allows you to get the size that best meets your needs. The bands are effective and do not obstruct mason bees from carrying out various activities in the nest.
Cons
Working with these rubber bands to use them on wood tray sets with many holes requires you to stretch them too tight.
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Conclusion
A habitat for mason bees is just one part of mason beekeeping. The mason bee house and nesting materials you provide mason bees with do not often meet all their needs. Accessories help you satisfy such needs for protection from predators, better storage of cocoons and attracting more bees to the nest. The accessories are reliable and made to best standards. Manufacturers have made sure that the accessories fit onto, and work well with other mason beekeeping tools and equipment that you already have. Get the best mason beekeeping accessories and see improvement in all results of your operation.
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