Looking to give your solitary bees options this Spring? Add a little variety to their life with a mix of 50 eco-friendly cardboard tubes and 50 natural phragmite reeds for nesting.
Phragmite reeds make a great nesting option for solitary bees. These reeds are sustainable, earth friendly and naturally push away moisture making them more weather safe than some other options. Bees love the way they vary in length and diameter and that one end is already capped off for them (the reed was cut at the node!) These reeds can be easily opened with a knife or razor and a simple turn of the wrist to remove cocoons at the end of the season.
Cardboard bee nesting tubes have gained tons of popularity over the last few years and make a great (sometimes more affordable) option for solitary bee nesting. The 8mm guard tubes are just the right length and size for most solitary bees being 6” long x .025” thick. Even better, these spiral wound tubes are very easy to open and clean at the end of your nesting season and are made in the USA.
This mix of phragmite reeds and cardboard tubes is a great way to see what you (and your bees) prefer!
Spring Phragmite Reeds:
Most reeds measure 5" - 6" in length. Reed diameter ranges from 5/16" - 7/16"
