Why use Phragmites Reed Grass Tubes for Mason Bee Homes?

I have several posts on this website about the Phragmites reed Grass tubes for Mason Bee homes. Access the posts here:
https://gfletcher.ca/category/mason-bees-and-phragmites_reed-grass-tubes/

On the website  masonbeesforsale.com 

I have found a list of the best reasons for using  the native Reed Grass tubes Phragmites australis  ssp. americanus for homes for Mason Bees. The pros and cons are listed:

Phragmites Reed Tubes:
pros: Phragmites Reeds are by far our top choice in nesting materials! They are the best option for several reasons,

1- Size/Shape-Reed tubes naturally vary in size, bees also vary in size and preferences so most bees will find a size they like to nest in. Each tube is cut between nodes so there is a natural back wall. Solitary bees prefer a fully enclosed space to nest in.

2-Protection-They are pest resistant. Mites and parasites aren’t able to burrow through the sides or the backs of the tubes because of the nodes in the stem.

3-Waterproof– Water will not soften or ruin the tubes. phragmites reeds will naturally wick away moisture. This also decreases the risk of mold, fungus and mildew affecting the bees.

4-Sustainable-Each reed is hand cut to the ideal length (approx. 6 inches= 15.6 cm) from natural sources. Cutting reeds is more environmentally friendly than the burning that often takes place to get rid of the reeds.

5-Easy Sorting– At the end of the season the reed tubes can easily be split in half. Bees can easily be sorted without damaging the cocoons.

cons:

1- Disposable-Reeds need to be replaced after each season, this requires purchasing new tubes. Luckily they are affordable.

2- Predators– Squirrels and Raccoons are sometimes able to get the tubes out of the bee house if not packed tightly enough. Placing some chicken wire over the front of the bee house and packing the reed tubes tightly in the house will prevent predators from getting your bees.

Cleaning the tubes, Nov.-Dec. 2021

CLEANING THE PHRAGMITES TUBES.

Any time from September on it is safe to open the Phragmites tubes to collect the mason bee cocoons inside. The earlier you do this the better as it prevents further development of pollen mites.  Below are some photos from this years crop.

The ideal tube that you want to find will look like this

Occasionally I come across large white larvae in the tubes. These are not parasites, they are pollinator wasp species. See this post for photos of the wasps

Beneficial wasp pollinators.. do not destroy!
When one of these tubes shows up I simply carefully replace the other half of the phragmites tube and tape it together. I incubate these in a separate container in the refrigerator
So this is what a successful bunch of tubes looks like. These tubes are about 18 cm in length.

PARASITES of MASON BEES

Pollen Mites 

With a hand lens or as above, a closeup view on a cellphone you can see this mass of mites on the move. When I come across a tube with these mites, I segregate all other cocoons from the tube, and give them a thorough wash and cleaning before storing them in the refrigerator. I am also careful not to sell any of the cocoons from that batch. Mason bee houses that are not cleaned will have a build up of mite infestation so bad that eventually very few bees will be produced.

MONO WASPS:

I didn’t have many of these Chalcid wasps ( Monodontomerus) this year, I have done a previous post showing these in detail. These are “bodysnatchers” as they lay eggs on developing larvae which then eat the larvae

However, some other bodysnatcher parasite did get in and eat cocoons in a few tubes, typically leaving half the cocoon casings.  I am not sure what this one is , but usually all the cocoons in a tube will have been opened if these have entered.

Mummification: 

A hard dark colored mummified larvae on the right is produced inside a cocoon. Probably spores of the fungus would be released from this form.

This is similar to a fungal infection called chalkbrood  in honeybees.

 

 

 

UNKNOWN?

A new parasite turned up this year in a few of the plastic cases with channels which a neighbour gave to me.  This one is like a cutworm larvae. I find the plastic containers are very bad for parasites, especially mites.

Other entries on this website about parasites and Problems with Mason Bee Culturing can be found here

Crownbees.com also has an excellent article on parasites of mason bees.

 

Washing Mason Bee Cocoons

Please Note: although i recommend washing in this video, I am not so sure that it is a good idea, as the year in which I did it, I had very poor hatching.. now I just do a thorough brushing in a sand bath and I have no problems with mites.    update 2024:  I have updated this 2016. post to move it closer to the other mason bee information this year I washed the cocoons and made sure I dried them thoroughly afterwards to prevent mould. 

After removing the cocoons from their tubes, it is important to give them a good wash to get rid of mites.  I do not use a bleach solution as some do, as I don’t think it is a very natural product and incorrect concentrations could have harmful effects.. I have no problem controlling the mite population either. .. I use three changes of lukewarm water in a large container. Then scoop them out by hand and dry on paper towels before putting in a plastic peanut butter jar in the fridge to hibernate until bloom time.

 

Mason Bees (Blue Orchard Bees) and Tubes for Sale now.

ARCHIVAL: This post has been re-dated from 2015 in order to position it closer in the blog to Mason Bee Information

RESERVE YOUR MASON BEES NOW

Now sold out for the 2016 season- there’s always next year!

Mason Bee
Mason Bee

Many garden and on-line supply outlets sell cocoons of the most efficient pollinator, the mason bee, for a much higher price. I can provide them now locally until the end of March (2016 )for $6.00 per dozen as supplies last.

See other posts on the Mason Bees cocoons produced here in Metchosin at  http://www.gfletcher.ca/?cat=2

hatchedmason
Blue orchard (mason) bee just emerged from a cocoon

 

Mason Bees (also known as blue orchard bees) can be picked up at our farm if only a few dozen are needed or for significantly large orders we may be able to arrange for refrigerated delivery  within the BC lower mainland/Vancouver Island area any time this spring. They can either be released in late February or March for early flowering peaches etc. or they can be held refrigerated until as late as June for release coinciding with the blooming times of other plants: blueberries, strawberries, apples, pears, cherries etc.

 

phragmites tubes
The local reed grass, Phragmites tubes for mason bee culture.

I will also be selling a limited number of packets of the local Phragmites reed tubes for $10.00 for two dozen this year. They can be inserted in a simply made house –- see other posts on this website for suggestions.

You can place orders now and arrange for pickup now or later by e-mailing.

 

NOTE OF CONCERN: As a former Biology teacher, I am concerned that websites advertising mason bees to send anywhere on the continent are making a big mistake in promoting population genetic contamination. As well as competing with local strains, introduced genetic lines could easily turn out to promote problems such as new parasite introduction and elimination of naturally evolved species .  So be sure to ask your supplier where they have originated, in order to be sure you are getting bees have been cultured  from natural varieties from your own area.  That’s why I would sell only to Vancouver Island or the lower mainland of British Columbia.  I have never bought mason bees. Fortunately I live in an agricultural are which avoids the use of pesticides, so native bees still thrive. My native mason bees from our farm found the first nest boxes I put up on their own, and it is from them that I continue to produce new cocoons each year.

Garry Fletcher: email to  garryf use the at sign gmail.com   (Jan. 2016)

Mason Bee Homes from Natural Reed Tubes- Phragmites

ARCHIVAL: This post has been re-dated from 2015 in order to position it closer in the blog to Mason Bee Information
The native reed grass here on Vancouver Island, Phragmites australis subsp. americanus provides the best tubes as homes for Mason bee larvae. This is from the native, non-invasive reed grass.

I am selling these for $10.00 for 2 dozen tubes.(OLD PRICE) They can be used one season, then split open easily to harvest mason bee cocoons for the next year’s pollination season.  (and then added to your compost!)

phragmites tubes for mason beesSee other information about Phragmites and the harvest of it:

Some advantages of using Phragmites tubes over other commercially available tubes:

  • Phragmites reeds are impervious to the parasitic wasp Monodontomerus, which can damage mason bee populations in thin straws.
  • Reeds are cut at the node providing a natural wall providing a plug that allows moisture to escape while preventing water from entering the reed.
  • You can build an inexpensive home by putting them in a piece of sewer pipe or a straight-walled jar, or you can assemble a wooden box to hold them. See several suggestions in the link above

Contact me to reserve your tubes for the spring 2016 season at the following e-mail:  garryf (use the at sign) gmail.com

Mason Bee (Blue Orchard Bee) tube cleaning and unidentified wasp larvae.

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

masonbeefulltube
Successful mud-filled tubes of Mason bees.

masonbeewasptubeThe photo above is of one of the better colonized box of tubes from the summer of 2015. Each mud-sealed tube in this box will contain on average 5 mason bee cocoons.

In the lower section of the box shown below, several mud plugs are of lighter colour and a smoother texture. I have found that these ones are colonized completely by another bee, I thought they may probably be resin bees , but now I have found out they are from the Subfamily Eumeninae (Potter and Mason Wasps):

See  hatched bee/wasp images  in May 1/2016 post: http://www.gfletcher.ca/?p=1538

When the tubes from several boxes which had the light coloured mud plugs were split open they appear as in the photo below.

2015-12-22wasplarve2
In opening my tubes for cleaning in the winter, I saved several tubes which are probably resin bees which are also pollinators. I have saved these in a separate container to see what hatches from them. Resin bees hatch when the weather gets warmer in later summer. That’s why these are still in the larval stage.

Other postings on parasites

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

Time to Clean Out the Mason Bee Boxes

NOTE. I have redated this 2017 posting to make it appear closer to the other mason bee posts. I had moved all my Mason Bee Boxes inside in the late summer so am now extracting the cocoons and cleaning them up for storage in the refrigerator.

I was surprised how successful the longest tubes which I used (9 inches),  have been this season. Below is a picture showing the number of cocoons I am regularly obtaining from these long tubes.

 

 

 

 

 

Mason Bees for sale for the 2016 Spring Season

ARCHIVAL: This post has been re-dated from 2015 in order to position it closer in the blog to Mason Bee Information
masonlongLast year with the long warm season, our mason bees on the farm were successful in filling  a large number of reed tubes with cocoons.  Now I am removing them from the tubes, cleaning them  and storing in the refrigerator until release time from the end of February until the end of June. I will be selling them locally again for a price much below that of  commercial outlets and they are available immediately at the price of $6.00 per dozen cocoons.

Also, one of my last year’s clients showed me the mason bee house he had made with cutting channels in wood. He also included a section with reed grass tubes which I had given to him to try out. The comparison was quite astounding, as can be seen in this photograph  with a definite preference for the Phragmites reed grass tubes being demonstrated.
2015-12-01 13.44.06

I will be selling a limited number of these reed tubes for $5.00 a dozen this year.

Contact me at this e-mail: garryf (use the @sign) then add gmail dot com.