What are mason bees?
Mason beehives are an effective way of inviting mason bees into your garden. We’ll explore their significance later; first however, let’s get acquainted with these important pollinators! So just what exactly are mason bees? BeeKeepClub is an invaluable resource for novice gardeners to gain all of the information about Mason Bee Houses for Your Garden.
Mason bees are smaller versions of honeybees that feature metallic blue or blue-black bodies with metallic markings. Their name derives from their habit of building nests using mortar-like mud layers in which to seal cells where they lay eggs – an interesting adaptation for making nests waterproof!
Mason bees are natives of North America and better equipped than honey bees to deal with its conditions. Over 140 mason bees reside here.
The Importance of Garden Pollinators
Mason bees and other garden pollinators play a pivotal role in our ecosystem. Pollinators play an integral part in flower reproduction as well as the production of numerous vegetables and fruits; without pollinators’ assistance many plants would struggle to produce seeds and fruit for reproduction.
Benefits of Solitary Bees
Many of us are aware of the stress honeybee populations are facing today, and the benefits that mason bees enjoy by being solitary insects. Their existence reduces stress levels and disease susceptibility; additionally, these insects do not suit high stress farming practices common among industrial agriculture farms.
Male wasps don’t possess stingers, while females can only release their poison if trapped or squeezed, making them ideal neighbors for your garden.
Gardeners understand the immense benefit that bees bring to their gardens, and many opt for urban beekeeping as a means of attracting pollinators that produce honey in abundance. But even those not ready to commit full time may still benefit by creating mason bee homes to provide mason bees an opportunity to reproduce; mason bees are typically considered native because they don’t require cultivation for honey production but make excellent pollinators.
What you need to make a mason bee house?
Materials needed for this project depend on the kind of bee home you wish to construct; however, you will require pieces of lumber or board that measure 2-by-4 as well as scraps of 1-by-6 boards, chopsaws, nail guns with nails attached or an old-fashioned hammer drill and tape measures for this endeavor.
How to build a mason bee house roof and structure?
As part of your home build, it’s necessary to construct an overhanging roof. To create an eagle roof, begin by connecting two pieces of one-by-six lumber at 30 degree angles across one side; ensure this cover can cover entrances of your new residence before connecting both pieces at 30-degree angles to form its peak.
Once your roof is in place, you can create a square box to house bee nests. This must be big enough to hold them, which should be at least five inches deep and eight inches across on both sides and bottom with height as you please – you could make use of 1-by-6 wood (or similar material) and cover its back part with 1×3 or similar material to cover its opening on top; attach it securely using nails – creating what will become their nest tubes!
How to make the nest tubes?
To create the simplest nest tubes, start by drilling holes into blocks of 2-by-4 with a 7/16-inch drill, cutting into 5 inches long pieces. Use an extra-long drill bit to drill from the bottom up through each block until all holes have been made; it is imperative that these holes be made to ensure your tubes can be easily cleaned with pipe cleaners or water during each nesting season – this way your bee-friendly hotel is ready to be installed immediately!
How to maintain a mason bee home?
Your hotel for bees should be ready with the nest tunnel you choose to install. Consult local guidebooks to determine when temperatures in your area can support bee colonies; place your bee house outside at this time to attract pollinating partners. If the temperature dips low enough for bee cocoons to form but there are no bees present, relocate their home to an unheated shed, garage, or other safe location before washing it off. However, don’t rush to do it just yet; allow it time. As soon as your bees are ready to hatch, take the bee house outside and allow nested bees to emerge from their cocoons before cleaning. At this stage it is also important to remove and dry off tunnels with bees in them to prevent fungus growth – and leave open nesting tubes so new bees may take their places.
