Mason Bees (was Bees, slightly OT)
 

On 20/04/2014 20:20, alan wrote:
My "colony" of solitary mason bees have emerged over the part few weeks.
http://www.admac.myzen.co.uk/bee/
http://www.admac.myzen.co.uk/bee2/

Full instructions please.

They're currently living in holes they've drilled in a disused chimney.
I don't want this to continue - enough holes might matter.

Andy

Mason Bees (was Bees, slightly OT)
 

On 22/04/2014 20:52, Vir Campestris wrote:
On 20/04/2014 20:20, alan wrote:
My "colony" of solitary mason bees have emerged over the part few weeks.
http://www.admac.myzen.co.uk/bee/
http://www.admac.myzen.co.uk/bee2/

Full instructions please.

They're currently living in holes they've drilled in a disused chimney.
I don't want this to continue - enough holes might matter.

Andy

Different bees if they are drilling holes

Mine are mason bees - they use mud to make compartments in reeds or
holes drilled by OTHER insects. Even though they can sting they are
very docile. They are solitary bees - no queen, no swarms, no honey etc.

In a tube they make a compartment from mud, lay an egg, pack the
compartment with pollen then seal it with more mud. Each of my tubes has
5 or 6 such compartments. The bees develop June to March using the
pollen as food and then emerge this time of year. The end compartment is
usually the male which emerges first and then hangs around for some
reason until the females emerge.

These bees are harmless and probably responsible for pollinating more
plants than honey bees/bumble bees etc. They emerge just as my cherry
tree flowers and I usually get a good crop.

--
mailto:news{at}admac(dot}myzen{dot}co{dot}uk

Mason Bees (was Bees, slightly OT)
 

"alan" wrote in message
...
On 22/04/2014 20:52, Vir Campestris wrote:
On 20/04/2014 20:20, alan wrote:
My "colony" of solitary mason bees have emerged over the part few weeks.
http://www.admac.myzen.co.uk/bee/
http://www.admac.myzen.co.uk/bee2/

Full instructions please.

They're currently living in holes they've drilled in a disused chimney.
I don't want this to continue - enough holes might matter.

Andy

Different bees if they are drilling holes

Mine are mason bees - they use mud to make compartments in reeds or holes
drilled by OTHER insects. Even though they can sting they are very
docile. They are solitary bees - no queen, no swarms, no honey etc.

In a tube they make a compartment from mud, lay an egg, pack the
compartment with pollen then seal it with more mud. Each of my tubes has 5
or 6 such compartments. The bees develop June to March using the pollen as
food and then emerge this time of year. The end compartment is usually the
male which emerges first and then hangs around for some reason until the
females emerge.

These bees are harmless and probably responsible for pollinating more
plants than honey bees/bumble bees etc. They emerge just as my cherry tree
flowers and I usually get a good crop.

The birds get all my cherries :-(

Mason Bees (was Bees, slightly OT)
 

On Fri, 25 Apr 2014 16:35:52 +0100, alan wrote:

Mine are mason bees - they use mud to make compartments in reeds or
holes drilled by OTHER insects. Even though they can sting they are
very docile. They are solitary bees - no queen, no swarms, no honey etc.

What diameter and depth of hole do you use (well, offer to the bees)?

And woudl the bees reuse a hole -- lots of the commercail ones have some sort of
inset or straw, and it that meant ot bechanged annually?

Thomas Prufer

Mason Bees (was Bees, slightly OT)
 

Thomas Prufer wrote:

What diameter and depth of hole do you use (well, offer to the bees)?

I have a few, and have used off cuts of old garden canes 50mm to
80mm long, but run a drill through them to remove internal
barriers. This gives a whole range of hole sizes, and
interstices, so they can, and do, take their pick.

And woudl the bees reuse a hole -- lots of the commercail ones have some sort of
inset or straw, and it that meant ot bechanged annually?

They certainly do reuse. I don't think the ones with straw are
really aimed at bees.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Plant amazing Acers.

Mason Bees (was Bees, slightly OT)
 

On 29/04/2014 09:16, Thomas Prufer wrote:
On Fri, 25 Apr 2014 16:35:52 +0100, alan wrote:



What diameter and depth of hole do you use (well, offer to the bees)?


6 to 8mm diameter - 120mm long

There are two types of mason bees that will use (and reuse) them
Red Mason in the spring using mud as a construction material and Blue
Mason early Summer using chewed up leaves. The Red Mason prefer the
larger diameter.

When all the bees emerge there is an empty tube that is reused.

The tubes need to be sited to get the full sun for the longest part of
the day - NO dappled shade

Originally the card tubes I purchased were relatively cheap but now are
quite expensive. I have some success with black jumbo drinking straws
but the bees really do prefer something less slippery.

I believe when kept commercially the bees are removed from the tubes,
hence paper liners in the card tubes. I don't remove the bees from the
tubes year to year.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Red-Maso.../dp/0953990605
Book contains references to the now defunct Oxford Bee Company - so
references to suppliers of tubes/ boxes etc. are now not valid.



--
mailto:news{at}admac(dot}myzen{dot}co{dot}uk

Mason Bees (was Bees, slightly OT)
 

In article , alan
scribeth thus
On 29/04/2014 09:16, Thomas Prufer wrote:
On Fri, 25 Apr 2014 16:35:52 +0100, alan wrote:



What diameter and depth of hole do you use (well, offer to the bees)?


6 to 8mm diameter - 120mm long

There are two types of mason bees that will use (and reuse) them
Red Mason in the spring using mud as a construction material and Blue
Mason early Summer using chewed up leaves. The Red Mason prefer the
larger diameter.

Have some of them (red) nesting in our garage walls most years, lovely
looking bees:)...

When all the bees emerge there is an empty tube that is reused.

The tubes need to be sited to get the full sun for the longest part of
the day - NO dappled shade

Originally the card tubes I purchased were relatively cheap but now are
quite expensive. I have some success with black jumbo drinking straws
but the bees really do prefer something less slippery.

I believe when kept commercially the bees are removed from the tubes,
hence paper liners in the card tubes. I don't remove the bees from the
tubes year to year.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Red-Maso.../dp/0953990605
Book contains references to the now defunct Oxford Bee Company - so
references to suppliers of tubes/ boxes etc. are now not valid.




--
Tony Sayer