Mason Bees 101

Contents:

• What Are Mason Bees
• What Do Mason Bees Need
• Mason Bees: Season By Season
• Sorting Mason Bee Cocoons
• How To Clean Mason Bee Cocoons

What Are Mason Bees?

Mason bees are one of the first pollinators awake in the springtime.  They are great for pollinating early blooming flowers and fruit trees among plenty of other things. 

Not only that, they are 100 times better at pollinating than honey bees, are native to the United States, and are a more gentle, docile bee.

What Do Mason Bees Need?

Mason bees do not need much to thrive.  Providing them with a safe and stable place to nest and lay their eggs can be very easy. 

A mason bee house is a great way to welcome mason bees to your yard or garden.

Shop our Mason Bee Houses Here 

Other needs for mason bees:

• Early spring blooming flowers and/or fruit trees
• A fresh water source, clay/mud
• A chemical free garden
• Bee nesting materials suitable for mason bee
• Proper location/height of a bee house (refer to our Bee House Set-Up Guide)

Mason Bees: Season By Season

SPRING

-Preparing for the Mason Bee Season-

As a rule of thumb, plan to have your mason bee house up and ready to go with your bee nesting tubes in early spring (by the time the temps in your area reach about 55°F) 

Let the bees do their work: 

• Once the mason bees wake up from their long winters’ nap they will be looking to mate
• Females will lay eggs until the end of spring 
• When all of your nesting tube ends are capped with mud the mason bee season is over

SUMMER

-Just Relax and Enjoy-

Summer is a great time to remove your mason bee reeds.  Removing and storing them greatly reduces the risk of parasitic or fungal infections and disease reeking havoc on your cocoons.  

Summer Storage:

• Store bee reeds in a closed paper bag, cardboard box, or plastic container with holes for ventilation, a breathable plastic bag, or a strong fine-mesh bag 
• Keep them in a warm location (they need the warmth for development) but make sure it is not overly hot.  Somewhere like a barn, garage or shed would be great - just not in direct sunlight or a window
• Try to store the filled reeds mud side upward
• Once the reeds are removed do not disturb them 

Note: There will not be any activity from the bees at this time, but don't you worry, they are working hard to develop into adult bees!

That’s it for summer, no need to do anything else with these reeds right now:)  

Fun Fact:  If you want MORE bees throughout the summer, clean your bee house and add more reeds.  Leafcutter bees like to nest in the same way mason bees do with a slightly smaller reed size like these: Summer Bee House Nesting Tubes – Mason and Monarch)

FALL

-Removing, Cleaning & Storing Cocoons-

IMPORTANT!  Only proceed with this if you are working in a cool environment (50°F or cooler)  If the bees get too warm they will potentially wake up and this would not be so great for them.

• Reed Harvesting:  This is just the fancy way of saying take the reeds out of the house (or where you have them stored), remove the bee cocoons and inspect them.  It sounds a bit intimidating but it’s pretty easy, I promise!
• Opening the Reeds:  This may seem scary but it is pretty easy! The bees leave a small space between their last cocoon and the end of the reed. Insert a knife/razor blade gently into the end of the reed, twist your wrist and bam, that's it! The reed will split making it easy to remove the cocoons.
• Removing the Cocoons:  Once the reeds are opened gently brush out the cocoons onto a piece of newspaper (or some other protective covering, this can get a little messy).  A tool like a screwdriver can also be used to remove the cocoons if you use extreme care.
• Cleaning:  Once the cocoons are removed from the reeds they will need to be inspected and cleaned.  There are a few options for this, let’s see which is right for you!

Sorting Mason Bee Cocoons

Once the cocoons are removed from the reeds they will need to be inspected for pests and sorted.  Here are a few different things you may find:

• Defined Cocoons:  These are the developed cocoons and generally make up about 99% of the cocoons you will find.
• Undefined Cocoons: These will look more frail than the defined cocoons, you will possibly be able to see the bee inside, and cocoon will not be a solid oval (do not clean these cocoons, you could risk damaging the developing bee)
• Frass:  For those of you like me, who had no idea what frass was...bluntly said, it's the larva's poop😁
• Mud:  The bees use mud/clay to cap the ends of the reeds they use for nesting.
• Leftover Pollen Balls: Pollen balls may be left behind for several different reasons, the larva may have died before eating all of it or rain may have made the pollen runny.  If you find a tube or string of pollen balls, this may mean your poor bee gathered from a plant sprayed with chemicals and did not survive.
• A Large Larva: This could be a beneficial wasp cocoon.
• Pests: Pollen mites and chalkbrood's may have infested your cocoons. The main reason for cleaning your mason bee cocoons is to keep them healthy and lessen their chances of failing due to a pest infestation. 
• Pollen Mites:  Pollen mites look like small grains of orange sawdust between the mud chambers.  They thrive in moist conditions.
• Chalkboard:  Chalkbrood spores look like chalky-white material covering the larva early in the infestation.  Once the infestation progresses the color may change to a gray or black appearance.  Once a larva has been killed it hardens and in some cases the larva can transform into a new mass of spores.  Chalkbrood is a devastating infestation that can quickly spread and can cause immense damage if ignored. 

What Else to Look For:

• A hole in the cocoon (possible wasp infestation)
• Cocoons that sink in a bleach bath

**DISCARD UNHEALTHY COCOONS TO ENSURE THE HEALTH OF THE OTHER COCOONS**

How to Clean Mason Bee Cocoons

-Which Cleaning Method to Choose-

Chances are high that you may not need to clean your cocoons at all.  However, if you have found a heavy infestation of pests you are strongly urged to do so.  Choose which method based on what you have discovered in your reeds: 

• Pollen Mites: Water Method OR Sand Method
• Chalkbrood: Bleach Method
• Healthy Cocoons: No cleaning necessary OR Water Method (only if you REALLY want to!)

WATER BATH METHOD:

1. Place cocoons in a deeper style colander/strainer  
2. Spray cocoons at a moderate pressure with water so the cocoons bounce off of each other
3. The bouncing should wash the mites away 
4. Place cocoons on towel to dry for a bit

OR

1. Place cocoons in a deeper style colander/strainer
2. Submerge cocoons in water
3. Spin cocoons around vigorously
4. The spinning should loosen mites and wash them away
5. Place cocoons on towel to dry 

TIP:  A small salad spinner with water may work for this as well

SAND BATH METHOD:

1. Place cocoons in a bowl of dry sand
2. Stir to coat cocoons
3. Sift sand out with colander or strainer
4. Cocoons should be mostly mite free after this

BLEACH BATH METHOD

1. In a bowl combine 1 cup bleach with 1 gallon of cold water 
2. In a second bowl add 1-gallon cold tap water (for rinsing)
3. Add cocoons to the bleach solution 
4. Stir for a maximum of 3 minutes 
5. Remove cocoons with a slotted spoon 
6. Drop cocoons into tap water
7. Stir for 3-4 minutes to rinse the bleach solution off 
8. Remove cocoons with a slotted spoon and place on a towel to dry

WINTER

-Winter Storage Tips for Success-

• Location:  Mason bee cocoons are best stored in a dark environment.
• Temperature:  Cocoons should be stored at temps of between 30°-39° F. If stored to warm the bees may start to emerge, too cold and they may freeze.
• Humidity:  Humidity should be between 60%-70% and there are a few ways of achieving this:
• Storing in a refrigerator can provide the right temps and humidity - the crisper drawer is the best place for this.
• Placing a small damp (not soaked) sponge or paper towel next to the cocoons can keep humidity up.
• Too much moisture can cause the cocoons to get moldy.  If this happens, wash the cocoons with 1 tbsp bleach & 1 cup cold water for about 1 minute.  Rinse them with water, allow them to dry and return to their winter home.
• A humidifier specifically for this purpose can also be purchased for winter storage.

TIP:  Check your cocoons periodically to see if they are too dry or too wet during the winter hibernation period.

Fun Fact:  The cold of the refrigerator helps the bees reserve their fat storage over winter.

Things to Know:

• Cocoons will/can hibernate for up to 6 months
• Store them in a cool place until the temperature outside reaches a steady 50°-57°F
• Make sure to clean the bee house itself and add another coat of natural protectant if needed so your house is ready to go again in the spring
• We love The Real Milk Paint’s Tung Oil:  https://www.realmilkpaint.com/ref/masonandmonarch/

FOLLOWING SPRING

-Releasing Your Mason Bees-

• When:  Once it has warmed up to a consistent daytime temp of 50°-57°F and you have open blooms it is time to release your solitary bees.
• How:  Place cocoons into a protected container with a hole in the side (about 1/4") so the bees can escape.
• Tip: A variety of containers can be used for this - wood box, cardboard box, jar - almost anything as long as they are protected from the elements and predators
• Where:  Release them near your bee house. The cocoon container can be taped/attached to the house itself or directly to the post the house is anchored to. It can also be set on the ground close by (again as long as the cocoons are safe). Removing a few reeds from the house and sliding the cocoon container on the top is a great option too!

FINALLY...

Wait for the babies to hatch (this may take up to 3 weeks!), enjoy and do it all over again!

Disclaimer:  All tips, tricks and directions have been thoroughly researched but are not guaranteed to work each and every time.   This is only meant to be a general guide to get started. Good luck, have fun, enjoy nature, and HAPPY POLLINATING!