Veseys

Canada (Switch to US)

Tools & Supplies

Mason Bee House

Veseys Home » Store » Tools & Supplies » Bird Feeders » Mason Bee House
New

Attract Nature's Most Industrious Pollinators!

Boost your garden's productivity by providing a happy home for peaceful, non-aggressive Mason Bees. Slightly smaller than a honey bee, Mason bees are incredible pollinators, visiting as many as 1,000 blooms a day; 20 times more than a honeybee! Hang this natural bamboo house against a tree or a wall where it will get morning sun. Female bees fill the bamboo tubes with their eggs as well as nectar and pollen for the young to eat. This all natural gardening aid will certainly be a backyard conversation piece while increasing your floral and vegetable production. 5.75" W x 20" H x 5.75"L.

A note on Mason Bees: Simply hang it and they will come! A sizeable population can be established after several years as they are excellent pollinators especially in orchards. These bees are active in early spring to mid summer when the fruit flowers are in bloom. They are adapted to a cool climate and can fly in chilly, even drizzly weather. They are non-aggressive, and not likely to sting, these bees are ideal to control for pollination uses.

Item #PriceQuantity
80272
$16.95

Customer Comments and Reviews

Heather DeanMay 1, 2012

Mason Bee House

Just to let others know that some of the bamboo tubes do not extend the full length of the house. As well, they are quite dusty and should be blown out or vacuumed before set out with new bees. After this season, I am not sure how they would ever get cleaned out properly. WE have purchased some cardboard tubes to put into the bamboo tubes so we will be able to remove some of the dormant bees in the fall and keep them for next spring. It is a first for us so will see how it works out.

Just to let others know that some of the bamboo tubes do not extend the full length of the house. As well, they are quite dusty and should be blown out or vacuumed before set out with new bees … 

Veseys Staff ReplyMay 4, 2012

Mason Bee House

Thank you for contacting Veseys. Mason Bees are naturally attracted to the tubular design of the Mason Bee House. They will not mind if some of the tubes are a little short and do not go all the way to the back. They will adapt the tube for their needs.
The Mason Bee House can be rinsed thoroughly and allowed to dry before you set it out. Eventually bees will find their way to the house and start laying their eggs.
Do not disturb or remove the unhatched bees! You can remove the whole house (intact) and keep it in a cold dry place during the winter, to protect it from winter wet, replacing it in March. An unheated shed, porch, or carport will do. This is very important – winter wet, not cold, is the enemy! Do not store in a warm place – the dormant bees need to be cold and dry during the winter.
Persistent wind-blown rain can dissolve the mud walls of the cells, causing tubes to rot and the young bees to succumb to fungal diseases. As autumn and winter can be very rainy, you must ensure your bee tubes are protected from excessive wet. If your bee house has a good overhanging roof and is rainproof you can leave it in place. Otherwise it must be moved somewhere cold and dry during the autumn and winter. From April onwards, young bees that have over-wintered in a dormant state inside the tunnels will emerge, and start the cycle over again.
The houses should be cleaned out yearly after the young bees emerge. Most people will rotate bee houses - replacing used ones with clean houses, so that the used houses can be cleaned and stored away for the next rotation.
Mix a solution of six parts water to one part bleach in a one-quart container to fill it about halfway. This should be adequate to fill one Mason Bee House.
Pour the bleach solution into each tube and use an old toothbrush or bottle scrubber to scrub debris from inside it.
Dump the remaining solution from the entire nesting block.
Spray the inside of each tube with a fine stream of water from a garden hose or pressure washer. This will wash out any remaining debris and bleach.

Thank you for contacting Veseys. Mason Bees are naturally attracted to the tubular design of the Mason Bee House. They will not mind if some of the tubes are a little short and do not go all the … 

VeseysApril 16, 2012

Mason Bee House

You can remove the houses and keep them in a cold dry place during the winter, to protect them from winter wet, replacing them in March. An unheated shed, porch, or carport will do. This is very important – winter wet, not cold, is their enemy. Do not store in a warm place – they need to be cold and dry during the winter.
Persistent wind-blown rain can dissolve the mud walls of the cells, causing tubes to rot and the young bees to succumb to fungus diseases. As autumns and winters can be very rainy, you must ensure your bee tubes are protected from excessive wet. If your bee house has a good overhanging roof and is rainproof you can leave the tubes there. Otherwise they must be moved somewhere cold and dry during the autumn and winter. From April onwards, young bees that have over-wintered in a dormant state inside the tunnels will emerge, and start the cycle over again.
The houses should be cleaned out yearly after the young bees emerge. Most people will rotate bee houses - replacing used ones with clean houses, so that the used houses can be cleaned and stored away for the next rotation.

You can remove the houses and keep them in a cold dry place during the winter, to protect them from winter wet, replacing them in March. An unheated shed, porch, or carport will do. This is very … 

VeseysApril 16, 2012

Mason Bee House

Wasps & yellowjackets form colonies and build nests. They would not be attracted to the Mason Bee House, which is designed for the more solitary Mason Bees which are excellent pollinators.
Unlike wasps, yellowjackets, honey bees or bumblebees, Osmia are solitary; every female is fertile and makes her own nest, and there are no worker bees for these species. These solitary bees produce neither honey nor beeswax.
The bees emerge from their cocoons in the spring, with males the first to come out. They remain near the nests waiting for the females. When the females emerge, the first thing they do is mate. The males die and the females begin provisioning their nests. Osmia females like to nest in narrow holes or tubes.

Wasps & yellowjackets form colonies and build nests. They would not be attracted to the Mason Bee House, which is designed for the more solitary Mason Bees which are excellent pollinators.
Unlike … 

Add New Comment
Email addresses are not displayed with your comment and will not be shared.