Mason Bees

Of all the domesticated bees in existence, the mason bee is perhaps one of the easiest to manage and maintain. It neither demands sophisticated tools nor require specialized skills to keep. In most cases, the mason bee will demand maintenance that takes about 3 hours or less and this is done about once a year. Of course, this will depend on the number of mason bee houses you have. Mason bees are a target to many pests, parasites and predators, and hence the need for maintenance. This is carried out in the fall and winter months. In this article, we'll discuss how to clean a mason bee house and why it is important to do so.

Beekeeping is not only one of the most fulfilling hobbies, but it also a most rewarding venture for agriculturists. There are, however, some limiting factors, including honey bee predators, being one of the biggest challenges to beekeepers. Some of these include: beetles, rodents, wasps, ants, mammals, and birds. Poor hive management that leads to improper mitigation of these pests and predators certainly weakens the bee colony. While honey bees may instinctively keep off most of their enemies using their stinger, they sometimes require some assistance from the beekeeper. The tiny bee is a target of small to large predators making it an insurmountable task for a single colony to defend itself from all these predators and pests. Some predators eat the honey bees as a whole whereas others are parasitic, sucking the life out of the bees. In this article, we will discuss how to protect honey and mason bees from birds.

The Gardener’s Supply Company Mason Bee House is tear drop shaped and made using bamboo. The bee house is hung in place with the narrower side of the tear drop at the top. Gardener’s Supply Company is known for creating products for varying agricultural uses. Their products are designed and tested …

Starting a mason bee population with cocoons is easy. You buy the cocoons from sellers such as Crown Bees and install them in the mason bee house. In a small period of time, you will have a large number of mason bees in the nest. You can buy the mason bee house separately from other items you need such as nesting tubes and attractants. Mason beekeepers also have the option of getting everything in one package. It is best to go for the complete set which includes the mason bee house, nesting tubes, and attractant since it makes purchasing the requirements easy. You do it once, instead of making multiple purchases, sometimes from different suppliers. In this article, we will discuss the best mason bee kits that come packaged with bees.

Mason bees are highly sensitive and require little management when compared to the honey bee. They are particularly prone to pesticides. It is therefore the responsibility of those who use pesticides in their lawn or garden, to ensure it does not drift into the mason bee houses. Flowering plants should also be free from pesticides, since the bees forage on these plants. This is not the only challenge faced by the mason bee. Pests, parasites and predators target mason bees as well. Consequently, they should be protected. This should be an all-season work on your part, leaving no chance for these enemies of the mason bee to attack.

Being the better pollinator in comparison to honeybees has made mason beekeeping useful and popular. For best results with your mason beekeeping, here is a guide on how to wash and store mason bee cocoons. The guide covers the process of harvesting cocoons, cleaning them up, and storing them in the best way to ensure you get healthy mason bees from the cocoons. Poor harvesting, cleaning and storage techniques kill mason bees in their cocoons. It is important to wash mason bee cocoons for various reasons including disease and pest control. Equally important in storage in the right conditions so that mason bee cocoons remain viable. Handle mason bee cocoons with care when harvesting, washing and storing them. They contain living organisms in them that you do not want to hurt.

Solitary bees are better at plant pollination than honeybees. Here is an exploration of solitary beekeeping and tips for success with mason and leafcutter bees. Mason bees get their name from using mud to build their nests. Leafcutter bees use bits of leaves to build their nests. They are unlike honeybees that live in a colony, and use wax among other materials such as propolis to make their habitat. Honeybees also produce honey and other beehive products. Strong jaws and large lips on mason and leafcutter bees are suitable for collecting materials for building nests. This article looks at best practices to help you with keeping, with a focus on mason and leafcutter bees. Use these tips for success with mason and leafcutter bees and enjoy great pollination for your plants.

If you would love to keep mason bees, then you have two options with regard to housing: DIY or buy commercial made mason bee homes. Irrespective of what you choose however, you will have to protect your mason bees from their natural predators, which include wasps. In this article we'll discuss different measures you can take to protect mason bees from wasps.

The Wildlife World Mason Bee Interactive Management System is a custom made house for mason, leafcutter and other solitary bees. As the name suggests, it is built to be an interactive habitat for these solitary bees that are very good for pollination. The mason bee house is built using durable …

The process of harvesting mason bee cocoons is an important one. Harvesting in this case does not mean honey harvesting. Mason bees are kept for purposes other than honey. They are beneficial solitary bees that are used for pollination purposes. As a matter of fact, mason bees are more efficient pollinators when compared to the honey bee and other types of bees. This species of the bee is easy to keep and is usually active in early spring, a time when other pollinators are not.