Mason bees are reluctant tenants

[hoodat]

I've got a nice bee block with what are supposed to be the perfect sized holes drilled in it. To make sure I collected a coffee can full of hollow stems with various sized holes. I have a nice container full of gooey mud waiting and my squash should be a perfect source for the large pollen they prefer. None of them are taking up the offer. Do you think an ad in Craigs List would help?

 

[lesa]

Mine is vacant too, here in upstate NY. If you can't get them to move in SoCal, what chance do I have???

 

[hoodat]

What part of Upstate New York are you in? I spent a lot of time in the area around Watertown when I was a kid. I still remember going to the cheese factory for fresh curds.

 

[elf]

OK, Hoodat and Lesa, fill in those of us suffering with insect ignorance. Are mason bees sometimes called carpenter bees? Are they the ones that are making pinkie size holes in the porch railing/fencing I spent a fortune having built on rental properties? If so, why might I want to attract them?

 

[hoodat]

OK, Hoodat and Lesa, fill in those of us suffering with insect ignorance. Are mason bees sometimes called carpenter bees? Are they the ones that are making pinkie size holes in the porch railing/fencing I spent a fortune having built on rental properties? If so, why might I want to attract them?

No, carpenter bees are the big bluish black ones; bigger than most bumble bees. They are only indifferent pollinators and bore into wood so they can be destructive if you get many of them.
Mason bees are smaller than honey bees and are easy to mistake for a big fly. They occupy already existing holes or hollow dead plant stalks. They lay an egg and them pack pollen into the hole for the larvae to eat, followed by a dried mud plug to keep predators out. Because they are hunting pollen they are great pollinators and will start earlier in the season and fly on cloudy days when honey bees won't. Honey bees have to be able to see the sun to navigate back to the hive.I'm trying to get a good colony of them going so I put out a bee block with holes drilled in it for them to occupy but so far no tenants. I'm told it takes a while for the first one to move in but after that they follow the example. They like to move into holes close to existing occcupied ones.
BTW they are very good natured. The males have no stinger and the females will very rarely sting, even to defend their home against predators.

 

[elf]

Wow! Perfect for gardeners. Hope they're not prone to the diseases of the honeybee.

 

[vfem]

Can you tell me about what size drill big I need for a mason bee??
I have decided to make my own block.

I have a TON of mason bees here.... the especially love my Pestamon and my Squash and my Watermelon. I enjoy their company, as my daughter and I actually pet them and thank them for their work. I want to make sure they know they are welcome to stay!

 

[lesa]

vfem, if you a do a search over on BYC, you will find a long thread on the subject (with photos). I am hoping mine will start nesting in the fall, and be my guests by spring... we'll see. In China, they are using mason bees exclusively for their orchards- since all their honeybees are gone...

 

[hoodat]

Can you tell me about what size drill big I need for a mason bee??
I have decided to make my own block.

I have a TON of mason bees here.... the especially love my Pestamon and my Squash and my Watermelon. I enjoy their company, as my daughter and I actually pet them and thank them for their work. I want to make sure they know they are welcome to stay!

There are several species and they vary slightly in size but from what I've read a 5/16 hole is right for most of them. The hole should be around three inches or so deep and not go all the way through the block. The block should be at from 3 feet to eye level high on the side of a wall or fence. Anything lower is too subject to predation from ants and some wasps. South facing is recommended but East facing will do.
Understand that although there are mason bees in my garden I've not had much success getting them to accept my blocks so I'm only repeating what I've read. I suspect some of my trouble may be that I used new wood. Maybe they prefer weathered wood.

 

[vfem]

I found a wonderful helpful site thank you! Its specificlly for the species found in NC. So I feel VERY certain on what to do now.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Other/note109/note109.html