Personal. observations by G Fletcher and purchase information for mason bees and Phragmites tubes for their culture
Harvesting Mason Bees —
NOTE: I have updated this 2015 post in order to make it appear closer to the other mason bee information
The Mason bee tubes are generally filled and a mud cap can be seen plugging the hole of the tube by the end of April-May and no further activity will be seen. It is best to not disturb the tubes for several weeks as the eggs are delicately placed on the stored food materials in each capsule and they take several weeks to get firmly implanted.
The first version of the mason bee house. Only one problem, where do you place the cocoons when they are ready to be released. Next years version soved that one.
Any time after October you can open the tubes and clean the cocoons of parasites for storage over winter in a refrigerator or a cool place outside protected from mice and birds. Some tubes may appear empty. Use a wire or a small round file to check.
Unused tubes may be used again but only if they are clean and parasite free.
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Split the tubes open in the winter and remove the cocoons,clean and store in a refrigerator until March.
Orange sections are mites
The top line and bottom rows are examples of successful tubes. The middle one has sawdust like fillings oin several compartments indicating the presence of parasitic mites. DIspose of thee so they wont contaminate next years emerging bees. are successful bees
This is a picture of unsuccessful egg laying. The orange mixture of pollen and nectar was put in the compartments but these ones must have missed getting a viable egg.
A light brush can be used to roll them around., and they can be swirled around in sand. .Their cocoons are very durable.Some people even go so far as to wash them.And when you are finished, compost the last year’s tubes.
