Preparing Mason Bee tubes from Phragmites reeds. – Mason Bees and Phragmites tubes for sale

NOTE: I have updated this 2015 post in order to make it appear closer to the other mason bee information

In the past two weeks I have been cutting more Phragmites (reed grass) tubes for the mason bee homes. Its important to get them before the new shoots emerge as they are easily trampled or cut off while you are cutting the stems. About one in 50 stems are of suitable diameter, so it does take some time to get them. This population is one of the few left in BC. One theory is that cattle grazing in the early years destroyed most of the native populations along the coastal estuaries.This population may have been spared because of the poisonous “arrow grass”– Triglochin sp. that is common in this marsh, so it was fenced from the earliest times on.

This phragmites is the native variety. In Eastern Canada however, there are populations of the introduced variety that are a serious invasive species.

A bundle of phragmites stems just cut from reeds in background

Mason bee homes set out among the preachbranches

Another way of making homes for bees. A 4inch piece of drain pipe is cut about 8 inches in length note wires for attachment, and the plastic bottle with cocoons inside which will be attached next to the tubes

The fawn lilies , Erythronium sp. are in bloom now so they can benefit from the pollination by the mason bees also. — The fawn lilies , *Erythronium sp.* are in bloom now so they can benefit from the pollination by the mason bees also.

stacking the Phragmites tubes in the bee house

I have a few of these tubes available for pickup in Metchosin. See this page re purchase:https://www.gfletcher.ca/?p=1

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