Handmade Orchard Mason Bee House - Made From Reclaimed Untreated Wood

[vfem]

Yep, my amazing handy husband can do things I can't even believe... usually when I'm not looking!

He's made me a garden bench or two, a work table and my own mason bee houses... the he starting rolling these out. So we're selling them, and taking custom orders.

They are done with 6"x6" untreated reclaimed pine. The holes are 4" deep, 5/16" diameter and 3/4" apart on center. The roofs are painted to make them last longer with a 1" over hang to help keep rain and excessive sun out of the bee's way.

There are cracks and the like in these because the wood was originally older and weather already, but we read the mason bee's prefer older worn wood over the newer.

*Thanks*

 

[Greenthumb18]

Wow, that's cool! Your husband's a handy man i see
I like building things sometimes too. That bee house is a great idea to help the population of bees :bee :bee ...more bees (pollination) means more harvesting in the garden.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[hoodat]

Either I have dumb mason bees or I'm too dumb to find the right place to hang mine. I've had it up all Summer with no takers.

 

[vfem]

Either I have dumb mason bees or I'm too dumb to find the right place to hang mine. I've had it up all Summer with no takers.

I don't think they take up residence unless their old homes are gone or there is no room, they are getting ready to lay eggs, or are going to make their nest for winter. Fall may be the better time to attract needy bees to your house?

 

[hoodat]

I have mine up facing South. It may be too much sun for them. Once I get my perennial morning glories off the fence I'll try facing it east.

 

[vfem]

Yeah I saw some stuff about keeping it somewhere shaded. And near a good water or mud source would help too.

Do you see any mason bees in your yard working?

 

[Warthog]

they look brilliant, maybe some day I might try keeping bees. A friend of our has just started keeping beese for honey.

 

[orloff]

I may have to get one from you next spring when we get our bees!

 

[journey11]

The cool thing about these houses V's hubby made is that you just put them out and the wild mason bees will move in on their own. Giving them a nice home encourages them to come visit and pollinate your garden.

 

[hoodat]

Mason bees are great workers. They start earlier in Spring and fly even in very cloudy weather when honey bees tend to get lost because they can't locate the sun.