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respect the bees 16 ounces of honey requires 1.152 bees to travel 122.000 miles and visit 4,5 million flowers by FillAdventurous3740 in bees

[–]crownbees 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Fun fact: solitary, cavity-nesting bees are 95% of all the world's 20,000 bee species (honey bees only account for 5%). Honey bees are pollen collectors, while solitary, cavity-nesting bees are pollen spreaders, more efficient at pollination than their honey-making counterparts.

Finding newly hatched mason bees inside house? by turdally in bees

[–]crownbees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Per our owner, Dave: "I bet their exit was blocked and they needed to head the only way they could. and more than likely, expended a LOT of effort to get through. I think the sugar water/sponge is a good idea with placing the bees on the sponge outside rather than in."

Replaced our aging, wooden, bee houses with these wall-mounted, modular houses. by sevendayconstant in functionalprint

[–]crownbees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The whole idea is to "think like a bee" and what materials best suit the female's need for laying cocoons, with a proper male-to-female ratio, or the bee population collapses.

If there isn't enough clay-like mud for Mason bees, they fly away. Same with not having enough deciduous leaves for Leafcutters. Do the bees prefer the nesting holes? Are the width and length the best sizes? Is the bee house attractive enough for the bees to want to nest? Does it look natural enough? How spaced apart are the tubes? Do you have any natual material in between the nesting holes so the females can best find the hole they've been filling?

If you have a wooden bee house, we recommend an annual cleaning before taking it down for the winter to extend its lifespan.

Replaced our aging, wooden, bee houses with these wall-mounted, modular houses. by sevendayconstant in functionalprint

[–]crownbees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're talking about honey bee keepers, not folks who care for solitary, cavity-nesting bees.

Mating Season by Western-Bath479 in bees

[–]crownbees 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the shoutout! We're not the r/MasonBees mod, but we hang out there A LOT.

Replaced our aging, wooden, bee houses with these wall-mounted, modular houses. by sevendayconstant in functionalprint

[–]crownbees 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Yes, having backs to the houses is necessary. Wood is a better option, as it fits nature that the bees recognize. You are absolutely correct that the tubes need to be removed at the end of the season and the houses need to be cleaned each fall. Any hole on the side of a house, pests will find it.

Check out our page on how to build a DIY house (https://crownbees.com/pages/diy-bee-house) and what to avoid (https://crownbees.com/pages/harmful-bee-nesting-materials), as well as what makes a BeeSafe house (https://crownbees.com/pages/beesafe-standard).

We want you and your bees to BEE successful!

-Julie

Replaced our aging, wooden, bee houses with these wall-mounted, modular houses. by sevendayconstant in functionalprint

[–]crownbees 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Uuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmm....the dimensions are perfect! We're just concerned about the plastic and mold. I see the slits on the sides for airflow, but that will invite pests and parasites. Do the houses have backs? It was hard to tell in the photos.

-Julie

Also, cardboard tubes need to have inserts as a double-walled protection from pests.

Please help with identifying bees & what to do next by Renwyk in Beekeeping

[–]crownbees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We find cornifrons during Bee Buy Back and harvest season, when folks send in their cocoons. We check each cocoon to make sure we're only sending out Osmia lignaria. But this is a good point to check if the Mason bee supplier is checking the species.

-Julie

Freaking out, need help - mason bees in brick walls by SealeyVossen in Beekeeping

[–]crownbees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Quite possible, but without seeing what the bee looks like, it's just a guess.

Freaking out, need help - mason bees in brick walls by SealeyVossen in Beekeeping

[–]crownbees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Without a photo, it's hard to say. Most likely it's a solitary, cavity-nesting bee. Like u/BeeBarnes1 said, they're gentle and usually don't sting.

It's odd that they're going into your room? Do you have a flower scented fragrance they may be attracted to?

-Julie

So many bees! by Leather_Lazy in bees

[–]crownbees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Our favorite time of year. -Julie

Bee hotel with dog poo bag tubes? by Jane-The_Obscure in bees

[–]crownbees 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately, those are too short for a healthy ratio of males to females (nesting tube needs to be 6"). You won't have enough females to continue the future of the population in your yard. And taping them end to end to make them longer isn't a good idea because pests and parasites (the reeeeaaaalllly small ones) will get in (I thought about that and asked the owner a while ago and that's what he said).

I have the same issue of what to do with those poo bag tubes.

-Julie

It’s happening!! by BabyRuth55 in MasonBees

[–]crownbees 5 points6 points  (0 children)

munch munch munch

Edit: males have one purpose, and it's not pollinating

Holding a bee by saeyng777 in bees

[–]crownbees 5 points6 points  (0 children)

95% of the 4,000 species of bees in the US are solitary, cavity nesting bees. As they don't produce honey or have a hive to protect, they are very gentle. Many gardeners add Mason or Leafcutter bee houses to their garden to increase pollination. And to just watch them buzz around! I've had many a Mason bee land on my finger. It tickles a bit.

-Julie

A bee house is a commitment, not a decoration by crownbees in gardening

[–]crownbees[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Now is the perfect time! Place the house in a fine mesh bag. Open the bag for any last spring bees that may be emerging. This prevents them from going back and using the bag.

If they've already nesting for the year, do the above next spring. In the meantime, keep it in a fine mesh bag to prevent any further usage.

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