We like our bees to survive and want to inform you of how to care for them.
Gary and Billie Bevers 360-270-1470 or 360-225-4913 gary.bevers@gmail.com
For Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon
Notes for Today, March 31, 2024
It’s been warm and sunny for the last couple of days. Cooler and rainy weather is on the
way, but our bees are out and flying. It’s always a question of when to put the cocoons
out for the spring. Is it warm enough, when will they hatch, is it too early, or is it too late?
The first question should be “will there be enough food for them”. If they hatch, but there
isn’t nectar and pollen available within 300 feet, they will leave. With no hive to protect
there is nothing to anchor them to a location. Our neighbor found this out when he
released his cocoons in early April for his apple trees that bloom around first of May.
Once they hatched, they traveled to our property where they found Pieris japonica,
Pieris mountain fire, Asian plum, and Oregon grape all in bloom. He (laughingly) told us
we had stolen his bees. That was almost 20 years ago, and we’ve learned a lot since
then.
Our process for selecting when to put out the bees includes looking for a sunny,
warm(ish) stretch of weather. It doesn’t always happen in this part of the country, but if
we get 3-5 days that look good AND we have vegetation that’s in bloom then we put the
cocoons out a day or two before the warm weather hits. By warm, I mean temperatures
that range from high 50s to 60s. Warmer is a dream. Once they hatch, they can tolerate
cooler temperatures and drizzle. The houses we have use an attic. Just like houses that
you live in, sunshine warms them up, so the bee house attics can be 10+ degrees
warmer than the outside air. It definitely helps with the hatching. Please do NOT release
them after May 1 st , they will be week if they manage to hatch, although half of them
won’t make it.
If you have had problems with bees not sticking around, it could be for several reasons:
Pesticide spraying (you or your neighbor), wasp taking up housing in the nest box, not
enough food, predators, or just deciding to fly away. The only good news is that you are
adding to the bee population in the environment. I knew one person who had all his
bees fly away one year. He left the bee box and nesting material in place, and bees
showed up the next year. I don’t know if it was his bees’ children coming home to the
“old homestead”, but he got bees the next year.
One more word about things in bloom…not all blooms are full of nectar and pollen.
Don’t think just “flowers” when you think of bloom. Trees, especially maples, are
beneficial for nectar and pollen as are a lot of bushes. As I tell a lot of folks I talk
to…”daffodils don’t count”, at least most of the ones that are purchased in nurseries and
big box stores.
What’s in bloom here in SW Washington at 200 feet at our 4 acres: Pieris (Andromeda),
Oregon grape, big leaf maple (and other maples), dandelions, Asian pears, European
plums, sour cherry, flowering quince, tulip magnolia.
Notes for Today March 10, 2024
And here it comes…our “false” spring… Temperatures in the long-range forecast promise to be in the 60’s with no rain and mostly sunny for a week starting next week. Not that you can totally
believe a long-range forecast, but I’m keeping an eye on it. If it seems to be real, I’m putting out
some of my cocoons. We have some blooms happening with nectar and pollen (daffodils don’t
count), so they should have enough forage to get started. What I’m seeing and hearing about
what’s in bloom varies depending on elevation. Here at 200 feet, Pieris (Andromeda),
blueberries, shotweed, dandelion, willow, Pear trees are budding out, but not showing color. I
suspect by next week we may have pear bloom. Judging from what’s in bloom here, I suspect
that apricot and peach will be close to bloom or blooming if they are not in too high an
elevation.
Our “boys” will be the first to hatch. Since they need energy and not protein, they will be
looking for nectar. I’ve already released a couple in my greenhouse. These were cocoons I used during my local talks for demonstration purposes. Since they were warmed up already, they got placed near my citrus trees that were in bloom. I haven’t seen them flying and maybe they got out, but it’s worth a shot to see if we get pollination more than normal. I did find the empty cocoons, so I know they hatched. It took about a week. We have enough cocoons that I can do an early release with just a few.
During the warm days next week, I’m going to be watching for bumblebees. At this time of year, they will all be mated queens usually flying low to the ground looking for nesting sites.
Hopefully, they will choose my property for a home.
Notes for Today April 28, 2023
We finally have our temperatures in the range for hatching, although my hardy little bees have been managing to hatch and survive during the past month. Now with everything in bloom…and I mean everything, at least at our place, they should thrive. Even if you think you don’t have enough food for your bees, please release them. It’s getting late in the season and they will have a 50% chance of hatching if you wait much longer.
We’ve had fun the past couple of days. A friend gave us her tubes filled with bees, and other things, but she didn’t have time to harvest them. So, in March we put them in our refrigerator, unopened. When it was time to release them, we started opening the straws planning to clean and sort. They (the bees) decided it was time to hatch. Who am I to argue with a bee! We unwrapped the straws, removed the obvious parasitic wasp cocoons and put the bees in a tray. As they were hatching, I put them in our garage and opened a window partway making them safe from birds and other critters. Yesterday my husband and I sat in the sun for about an hour watching them hatch and leave the tray. Some of them flew off, and some of them hung around looking for “the girl of their dreams”. One stayed on my thumb for about 15 minutes until I finally was able to convince him he needed to leave home. At one time, they were hatching at about 1 every 10 seconds. They make an interesting sound as they chew through their cocoons, almost like chewing on miniature potato chips. Yes, you can hear it if you get your ear close to a couple thousand bees, and yes, I did that.
Temperatures are going to go back to reasonable and really not too hot or too cold. The bees and I will love it.
Notes for Today March 28, 2023
I’ve finished with most of my talks, and I’ve had some very good questions. I’d like to share some of the answers in case anyone reading this has the same questions.
Nesting material – No plastic straws. The straw will hold moisture and will kill the developing larva. Always use the cardboard tubes with the inserts. Don’t use inserts alone. Parasitic wasps can get through. You can use reeds, but as with straws, replace the nesting material every year. Cardboard tubes will last 4-5 years. Wood blocks that can be taken apart can be used without tubes. Wood blocks that are drilled but cannot be taken apart need a paper liner that can be removed. Do not use bamboo. Bamboo has naturally occurring nodes that can restrict the length of the nesting area, and the holes are seldom the right diameter. Bamboo cannot easily be opened to harvest your mason bees.
Harvesting mason bees is necessary to rid them of pests and diseases. If you don’t, all the blossom mites, parasitic wasps, Houdini flies, carpet beetles, chalkbrood, etc. will be back in your yard, increasing every year.
For housing, wood seems to be a good choice. It doesn’t overheat like metal does, it absorbs moisture, unlike plastic, and it won’t get soggy like cardboard will. Whatever housing you use, put screening at the opening to keep out birds, but with large enough holes for the bees to fly through (1 inch chicken wire works well). Make the housing longer than the nesting material so there is a space between screening and nesting material. It leaves a “porch” in front which helps keep birds at a distance and nesting material out of the rain.
It’s still cold out, and the long-range forecast is for a cooler than normal April. No false spring this year! Still, the blooms are starting to happen, and during the couple warm days last week we saw wild bees (including bumblebees) flying. In our area we can see flowering cherry, wild plum, Pieris Japonica, willow, and Asian plum. It’s enough to put a few cocoons out and be assured they have plenty to eat. If you have enough cocoons, you can do more than one release. We only have a few weeks to put them out. Cocoons set out after May 1st may not be viable, they will have lost too much of their fat stores.
Notes for Today March 8, 2023
It’s been a week of talks, questions, and answers. I’m sensing that people are starting to get ready for spring; and with that, releasing their bees. Here are some thoughts based on conversations and questions.
Last year was a terrible year for bees. We lost about 2/3rds of our cocoons due to weather, so if you lost your bees, there may have been nothing you could have done. An unexpected snow storm in the middle of April is a very bad event for bees. We survived because we put out our cocoons twice…once in the early spring and once at the end of April. Any later than that and the bees won’t be strong enough to survive (they have burned through all their fat stores).
Always use a cardboard outer tube to go with the white insert tubes. The white insert tubes are disposable when you harvest, and the brown outer tubes can last about 5 years. The break apart wood trays we’ve had for about 10 years, and they are still usable. They don’t need the white insert tubes. Reeds and other hollow stemmed natural material should be replaced every year when you harvest…AND YOU SHOULD DO A HARVEST! Do NOT use bamboo. It’s too hard to open and the nodes may be too close together for mason bees. We have invasive pests that can overwinter in nesting material and hatch out the following spring to infest your yard.
The gnat sized flying insects that you may have seen last summer around your bee boxes are probably parasitic wasps. They can be mostly (not totally) barred from your bees by a fine meshed screen over the bee house opening or putting the nesting material in a fine mesh bag. If you have mice, you may have to use metal screening (like porch screening).
So far this spring, it’s been 10-15 degrees below average. I’m not holding out hope for an early spring. Nothing is really blooming yet, but I see the Peiris Japonica, also called andromeda, blooms are out (not open).
Fingers crossed that it’s a better spring this year!
Notes for Today February 11, 2023
It’s one of those rare days when the sun is out, and it almost feels like spring. Perhaps I’m being optimistic. We are definitely getting more light and a little more sun time. I’m so ready!
My husband, Gary, is making new bee houses and repairing some of the older ones. We don’t take down the outsides houses on our property unless they need repair that can’t be done on location. Some of them have gone through 15 years of weather and are still “standing”. Most of the “wear and Tear” seems to be roof warping. Gary has tried several design and material variations and he’s found that marine plywood or Baltic birch plywood seems to be the best.
Last year was a difficult one. The year before (2021) we harvested over 40,000 cocoons. It was our best year ever. So last spring we distributed 9,000 cocoons, and we thought we were off to a good start. Mother nature put us in our place a couple of weeks later, in April, when an unexpected snowstorm came in and killed bees and bloom. We ended up with about 13,000 cocoons…enough to start over. We learned a couple lessons: It pays to put out more than one batch of cocoons if you have enough to do so, and it doesn’t matter how many pollinators you have, if the weather kills the bloom, you won’t get the fruit. I read (somewhere) that these will be a hardier bee when they hatch. Sure hope they’re right.
At the end of this month, I will start “my talks”. I haven’t done much speaking since Covid hit, but it looks like things are picking up. We have a calendar on this website if you are interested, but the bottom line is I will be talking at Woodland and Yale libraries, Tsugawa Nursery, WSU Extension, the Home and Garden show, and a Zoom talk. Not everything is about mason bees. Strawberries and vegetable gardening are also on my list, but if you show up and mention mason bees, I’m liable to get sidetracked.
I keep opening my bees’ refrigerator (yes, they have their own), and telling them it will be soon and then they will see things they never dreamed of…if only for a few weeks.
Notes for Today, December 8, 2022
It’s been a long time since I last posted, and I won’t bore you with the details, since reading about mason bees is why you are here (I hope). I’ll just say that my husband and I have seen the inside of hospitals more than I care to…now on to the bees and what’s happened this year.
If you can remember far back to last spring in this area (Southwest Washington/Northwest Oregon), we started off with a bang. Our bees we put out in late March, as usual, with plenty of blooms happening for lots of food. It snowed in April, and not just a little…we had a week of cold, wet, snowy weather. It decimated the bees that had hatched and set back the unhatched ones. We put out another batch of bees in mid April, and they did much better. It still was wet. It didn’t seem to matter if the bees were in upper elevations or lower elevations, the results were the same. Some sites had better luck and it seemed to be determined by how much heat the nesting material held and how protected the area was. For example, two sites were positioned on metal roofs and the extra heat generated seemed to help. Our south facing nests with wind protection and overhanging eves did better than most.
Normally, we pick up our nesting boxes to put them in a cooler, protected shed by first or second week in June. By this time, the females have died off and there is no more activity. This year they were still flying in July. I’m not sure if the females still had eggs to lay, or if they were just going through the motions, but as long as they were making the effort, we left them alone.
We harvested from October into November and there were a few discoveries. We found the usual percentage of blossom mites, but there seemed to be a lot more cocoons that had parasitic wasps inside. I suspect it had to do with leaving the nesting boxes out later than usual. We also noticed there were dead male mason bees in the nesting holes. They normally die after 2-3 weeks, but I seldom see them in the boxes. They may have died from the cold since they are the first to hatch in the spring. Our cocoon count last year was over 40,000. This year, with more nests put out than last year, our count was a little over 14,000.
We had a hard year, and I suspect there are a lot of us in the same boat. With the weather getting stranger and stranger, it’s going to be hard to “outthink” global warming, but there are some mitigating steps we can take:
- If you have enough bees, put them out in March and April (no later than May 1st)
- Refrigerating bees helps keep their fat store at maximum so they can survive a longer stay in their cocoons.
- Choose the best nesting site you can for maximum survival (no wind, south facing, close to mud and food if possible)
- Make sure they have mud close by (not under) the nesting material, especially during a dry year.
- After they stop flying and are done laying eggs, remove the nesting material to a cooler location (NOT a refrigerator). Our temperature 2 years ago went up to 116º. The shed we put them in had temperatures in the 90s and was noticeably cooler. Protect from pests with screening or some type of breathable barrier.
Good luck folks, and we’ll see what next year brings!
Notes for Today, March 4, 2022
Spring is starting to open up a bit, so it’s time to think about putting out your mason bees. The temperatures are still cool, and the sun doesn’t come out much…yet. Your bees may take their own sweet time to hatch. If you don’t have fruit trees showing color in the buds, or not much blooming yet in your area you might want to wait. Purchasing now and holding the cocoons in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator might be the best option. (See “What to Do with Your Cocoons” below). If you are in higher elevations, hold off for a week or two.
If you do decide to put your bees out, and you have housing that includes an “attic”, if the sun comes out and warms the box, the attic can increase in temperature about 20 degrees. Warming will speed up the hatching, Mud will be necessary when the females hatch, a week or so after the males…you have time.
What I have seen in bloom on our property (170 feet in elevation) is andromeda (pieris), daphne, Asian plum (bud break), and an indication that some of our maple trees are starting to bloom. I’ve also noted willow and flowering quince in bloom. Daffodils don’t count as a source of nectar, only as an indicator that spring is here.
What to Do with Your Cocoons
Now that you have your cocoons what do you do? If it’s too early to put them out, put them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator or in a non-frost-free refrigerator. Check on them every week to make sure they are not drying out or molding. Keep your bees at an average of 38 degrees and 50-70 % humidity. When you are ready to put out your bees, (temps in the 50s), attach the box to a solid, sunny, non windy location. Open the flap of the cardboard box they came in and place the box in the back of the bee house on top of the nesting material. If you bought tubes of cocoons, unwrap to make sure there are no pests or diseases inside. If you have a gabled house, or a flip box bee house you can place them in the gable or inside the flip roof. Protect your cocoons from birds by putting 1” chicken wire over the front of your box. Less than 1” will hurt the bees wings.
Notes for Today, February 2, 2022
Groundhog’s Day for us marks the beginning of mason bee season. It’s not time to put out cocoons in Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon, but things are speeding up. We’ve finished repairing and painting our boxes and are in the middle of building new ones for our retail stores. Early delivery for one store, Tsugawa’s happens next weekend, so the push is on to get all flyers, handouts, and other documents up to date and ready.
February 28th marks the date I will have my first “in person” class for WSU Extension in 2 years. It’s in a large room, and we are limiting the class size to 30 (with masks), so it shouldn’t be a problem. I’m really looking forward to it. Teaching via zoom gets the job done, but it does have some limitations.
For anyone involved in putting out blue orchard mason bee cocoons in this area, here are some things you should be doing.
Get your materials ready
Are your “houses” in good repair, cleaned, and (if you do so) painted? You want any fumes from paint to be gone before you place the cocoons. Do you have enough nesting material for females to lay their eggs? Each female can lay 30 eggs, and straws will hold about 7 cocoons. These are estimates BECAUSE…Japanese hornfaced bees can have 12+ cocoons in a straw or nesting material channel. Mason bees can die, be eaten, or leave the nesting site and you will get fewer (or no) cocoons. You might get lucky and “wild capture” mason bees…more on that in the next blog.
Choose your site
You want to determine where your mason bee house and nesting material should go. They will fly up to 300 feet in distance. For those of us who are “distance challenged” think football field. If you are in a town, include the area over the fences…your neighbors. If you are near trees, remember you don’t have to see blooms for the trees to have nectar. For example, maple trees have a lot of nectar. Bees hate wind and they love sun so look for sunny places out of the wind. Buildings are the best because they don’t shake, but we’ve had success with large (not evergreen) trees and light posts. Place the box and nesting material about 3 to 5 feet in height; high enough so most critters have a hard time getting to it, and low enough so you can see what’s happening.
Check where and what you should purchase
Try to buy local. Cocoons from the same or similar environment will hatch and survive better. The Northwest has a relatively new parasite called a Houdini fly. Unless the cocoons have been individually inspected and processed, there is a chance you might get one of these tiny “nasties” and introduce them to your area. Do NOT purchase cocoons in a tube!
Any questions, please contact us…talk to you soon!
Notes for Today, November 10, 2021
It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted anything. Covid and a few health issues have put things on the back burner until now. I will try to bring this blog up to date with what has happened with the mason bees this year.
Spring turned out to be warmer and dryer than usual, and our mason bees seemed to thrive in it. We had a bumper crop in this area of Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington with approximately 33,000 cocoons pulled from our sites in 4 counties. While gathering our nesting boxes there seemed to be more wasps trying to set up shop in our containers. I guess they liked the warmer, drier season, too. We gathered the boxes during the first part of June which, it turned out, was just in time. When we hit our record highs over 100 (remember the 115?), our cocoons were tucked away in a “coolish” shed, in the shade and out of the sun. It was the best thing we could have done for them.
We are in the middle of harvesting and have a few more boxes to go. Thanks to friends and family, Tim, Kylie, Jared, Gillianne, Gary, and Mary (master gardener from Mason County) we will probably finish sometime this week. Thirty-three thousand cocoons are a lot! It looks like we have a lot of blossom mites, but not so many parasitic wasps. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the yearly harvesting and cleaning is doing its job keeping them mostly at bay. We will never get rid of all of them, but it does help. This time, we also found carpet beetles, earwigs, and spiders, and the most unique find was a pseudoscorpion. I hesitate to call it cute, but it really was…and a good predator for the tiny insects in our bee boxes. They are really small…about half the size of a grain of rice. Thanks, Mary, for the identification!
Notes for Today, March 11, 2021
Well, we’ve had 3 days of hitting 60, and a few more coming this week. Yet for most of us, it isn’t time to put out our cocoons. Next week will be in the mid 50s for lower elevations in Southwest Washington. The 10 day has more rain in the forecast, but that’s 10 days out and things can change. For some of us, we have bloom enough in our yard (especially if you have an apricot tree or two) and the temps are close enough to put out cocoons. That being said, if you want to get started and you have a good number of cocoons you can put out an early group and follow up later with a second (and third?) release.
In our yard we have andromeda (Pieris japonica) flowering and we have enough of the large bushes to be a major source of food. Our pear buds are starting to swell as are the Asian plum and sour cherry trees. It’s cold with warm sun breaks. I have a southern wall against the house so I’m taking a chance and putting out 50 of my bravest mason bees to see if they will hatch. My mason bee box is a medium flip top box with an “attic” that warms up about 10 degrees. The box is located just outside my window where I sit, so I can keep an eye on what’s happening. If I see that they’ve hatched, but are too cold to fly, I will put a cotton ball with sugar syrup near them. It’s a test to see if they can get going in minimal temperatures. Since they should take a few days to hatch, the timing should be right for cherry and plum blooms to be open. I feel like I am putting my children in danger but I can swear I hear them whispering in their little cocoons “We want out…we want out”.
Notes for Today, February 21, 2021
I loved seeing the snow, and I love seeing the snow go. For those of you who had ice and power outages, I hope you are doing better than last week. Spring is on the way!
I’ve had a few people ask me about purchasing mason bee cocoons, so here’s my take on what to look for and why.
First, look for local cocoons. Bees that are used to local temperature, humidity, and nectar source will do better. When I say “local” I mean within about 200 miles. For example, if we sold cocoons to central Washington, half of them would survive. Over the next few years, the survivors would get better adapted to the environment and gradually acclimate to the new location. If you are purchasing from a store, ask where the cocoons come from. If you are ordering online, some companies will make an effort to sell their cocoons back to the areas they came from. If you are in higher elevation, there isn’t anything that you can do about assuring the bees are accustom to your elevation you just need to pay attention to when your bloom happens.
Second (and this is a big one), make sure your cocoons are clean. Cocoons that are sold in tubes that you can’t see into can contain more than just mason bees. Blossom mites and parasitic wasps are often found in tubes that are sealed with mason bee mud. A new parasite found in the Northwest in the last couple of years is the Houdini fly and it lays its eggs in mason bee nesting material. By selecting cocoons that have been cleaned and sorted you keep these “nasties” and others out of your yard.
In this area, it’s not time to put the cocoons out yet. If you have cocoons of your own still in tubes, please think about refrigerating them and harvesting the cocoons when it is time to put them out. You will need a cold room (garage?) so they don’t start hatching. Washing them in Clorox and water and then rinsing in cold water and letting them dry is preferred, but if you just harvest the cocoons, it will certainly keep the majority of bad stuff out of your yard.
Questions? We answer them!
Notes for Today, January 27, 2021
It’s been several months since I’ve posted anything. I think with the pandemic I just lost some of the motivation to communicate and could only concentrate on my bees. A new year, and a new resolution to get the information out in our little corner of the world.
First, an update on where we are this year and how last year treated us. Our bees did well, and we had a bumper crop. The weather had a lot to do with it, but also, we are continuing to grow and expand our number of sites for box and nesting area placements (we still hold mostly to within the 50 mile radius). Sometimes our bees fly away after they hatch, and that’s OK. Our focus is to get them back into nature, so if they don’t like where we put them, they’ll find another location. One of our locations should be a good spot, but they have flown away for the last 4 years. I suspect lawn chemicals and I will ask the owner this year if she decides to have us back again.
Since Covid, I haven’t been doing any talks, however; February 3rd at 6pm I will be doing a Zoom training for WSU. This will be my 9th year and it’s a lot of fun. If you are interested, check out the webpage then click on about and public events. The 1 hour class is free, and there is time after for questions.
This is the last of January and the month seems to have really gone fast. We’ve had warm weather so early spring flowers (and my garlic) are really up. Spring is not here yet, but it is telling me that it’s on its way. We are preparing boxes and nesting material in the shop. Any painting has to be done within the next couple weeks. I’m keeping an eye on my cocoons in the refrigerator making sure the temperature and humidity are within a good range. Our bee refrigerator is a non frost-free, and holds nothing but cocoons and bottled water (the water helps with the temperature regulation).
Notes for Today, April 14, 2020
What a difference 2 weeks makes! The sun has been out, and it’s been warmer than usual. Everything is in bloom (except apple trees). We’ve got so much to offer in the way of nectar and pollen, there is a frenzy of activity from all the pollinators. Our mason bee boxes look almost like freeway jams during rush hour, and the tubes have mud at the ends. Most females will lay about 30-34 eggs in a tube or nesting hole, at the rate of about 7-8 eggs per hole. That means that they will fill about 4 holes in their lifetime. Check your nesting sites if you haven’t already done so, you may be surprised. Some of my females are coming in totally covered in yellow with so much pollen. I’ve seen them up in the maple trees, especially the big leaf maple, so I know that’s a lot of it.
It’s very dry, so I know they are on the hunt for mud. We’ve dug out blackberry vines and they are using the holes to gather any mud they can find. I’ve been watering the garden in the morning and extending the water over our raised beds to wet down some of the ground. If you need to water, it may be an indication that you need mud for the bees, too.
A lot of the bees I am seeing now are the males along with the females. We do several releases during the spring because we have so many, so we will see our males into May. If you notice a decrease in your bee population at this time, it could be because the males have died off. They only live for 2-3 weeks.
It’s been an exceptional couple of weeks for our pollinators. This could be a very good year!
Notes for Today, April 5, 2020
Well the weather didn’t get warmer when I thought, but this week looks like it will actually be close to perfect. We sat outside today and watched all kinds of flying critters buzzing around, including some rather frantic bumblebees. These are mated queens that are looking for nesting opportunities to start their hives. Be glad when you see them and hope they stick around. They are super pollinators and great to watch.
Our mason bees have been busy even in the cooler, drippy, gloomy days. I’ve been checking on the hatching…easy to do with the flip top boxes we have. I saw the larger cocoons had hatched so I knew the females were out. On the cooler days I would often see bees hunkered down in the tops (attic) where it was about 10 degrees warmer. It really made a difference when the sun came out and hit the front of the boxes even for a short time. I know that makes a difference in the early spring when it’s so cool. Today was sunny enough that a lot of them were really flying. I saw some going in the nesting holes, so I know the females are starting to lay eggs and get their brood started.
There is lots of bloom for them at this time. I’ve even left my kale and collard to go to flower. The brassica family which includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and more seems to be particularly attractive to bees of all kinds. This summer I will let my broccoli go to flower and it will be full of bees. I usually don’t see anything but bumblebees go after our rhododendrons but today I saw one of our “boys” going for it. Maybe it’s the type of rhoddy that he liked. We also have pear, cherry, dandelion, Andromeda, Oregon grape and several maples in bloom. With the warm temperatures coming up everything else will be exploding. I heard from one of our mason bee locations today and her bees are out and doing well. She’s at over 900 feet, so they are tough little bees and can take the cold.
If you haven’t done it yet, GET YOUR BEES OUT!!!
Notes for Today, March 28, 2020
Rain, rain, rain, and more rain for the past 2 weeks. I think it’s because my last post talked about the nice weather. If my bees survive, next week they should be happier. There is plenty of bloom going on and the weather should get better by Tuesday.
Hatching happens pretty fast when the weather warms to upper 60s and above. When the temperatures are in the 50s, it takes a few days. The boys hatch first. It may seem like they disappear and you might think that they’ve flown off, but be patient. Chances are they are hanging out in the blooms in nearby bushes and trees. I saw one of my boys last week sunning himself on a leaf and he quickly flew off when he saw me. They are fast. As soon as the girls start hatching, the boys will show up. After they mate, it takes a couple of days for the eggs to develop in the females so laying the eggs and building the mud chambers will take some time. I’ll start looking for that type of activity by next weekend if the warm weather is true.
We have seen lots of blue jays and flickers this year. I’m glad we’ve put chicken wire in front of our boxes to protect our bees and cocoons. Last year I had a running disagreement with a resident blue jay who was trying to catch my bees while they were flying out of their boxes. He couldn’t attack the nesting box since it was protected by chicken wire, but he was trying to get them as they exited. It took me 2 hours chasing him off before he finally gave up.
Notes for Today, March 17, 2020
Well happy St. Patrick’s Day. Even if you can’t go anywhere, it’s good to be alive. Spring feels like it has finally arrived and we are busy putting out our cocoons in the lower elevations. I’ve seen lots of blossoms popping, even some of the maples are starting to bloom. Temperatures are in the 50s and are right for cocoons to hatch. This was a rapid switch from winter to spring for us and we were delivering cocoons in the snow and setting them up. Night times have been in the low 30s and upper 20s, but they can survive for a couple of nights. The main thing is for the bloom to be ready when they hatch and for the weather to be good enough that they can fly for a couple of days.
I want to thanks all the folks we met over the last 3 days for being so enthusiastic and kind. We’re all aware of what corona virus is and how we should handle personal space. Everyone observed isolation protocols, but we still had wonderful conversations and short visits.
Next weekend we deliver cocoons to upper elevations and hopefully the snow will be gone. For those of you who are not familiar with what we do, we deliver cocoons to (mostly) master gardeners in a 4 county area. Our main objective is to put mason bees back out into their environment to increase the population. It has been successful over the past 8 years to the point where we are now taking 2 weeks to deliver all the cocoons. It’s exhausting but it’s fun and it’s enjoyable.
Notes for Today, March 1, 2020
Well, the blooms are happening, but the weather remains cool to cold and drippy to rainy. I’m trying an experiment with some of my bee boxes in warmer areas. A couple of them face south and are close to plum trees that are out in full bloom. We had a donation of mason bees in tubes and since we will NOT put mason bees out in tubes (keep reading…I’ll explain), we are harvesting the cocoons out of the tubes. Some of these cocoons we are placing outside in their boxes. The best weather over the next 10 days should be later this week. If they do hatch, it may be too cool for them to fly, so I will feed the bees by soaking a cotton ball in sugar water (2 parts sugar to 1 part water) and placing the cotton ball near the bees. The type of boxes we use have something called an “attic”, and the flip top allows us to see inside the attic and observe the hatching. It’s also handy for placing the cotton balls. It looks like our best time for placing the cocoons outside in the lower elevations, will be next weekend or the weekend after.
We took a trip to the Seattle last week and spoke to a major distributor of mason bees. He had big concerns about the new pest, the Houdini Fly. He said he had a 40% loss in the Seattle area from the fly. Last fall, during our harvest, we came across one cell that had fly maggots in it, and at the time, we weren’t aware of the Houdini Fly. However, cleaning and harvesting our cocoons in the fall means we didn’t spread the problem. PLEASE…don’t buy mason bee cocoons in a tube, and if you do raise them in tubes, PLEASE harvest the tubes in the fall! If you already have purchased bees in a tube, open the tubes and place the cocoons in a Dixie cup, small cardboard box…anything that will allow them to hatch with some safety. Make sure there is an opening so they can get out. You may find that you have more than just cocoons in those tubes.
Notes for Today, February 22, 2020
I’ve been watching the weather, and looking at the bloom and it looks like it may be an early spring here in northwest Washington. Last year we were about 2 weeks late with bloom and the temperature was colder. I remember snow in February. We really haven’t had a winter this year, and according to the weather forecast, we’re not going to. I’ve noticed some of the early blooming trees starting to show color. Indian plum…that white blooming tree you often see from the freeway looks like it is in full bloom. Our flowering cherry and Asian plum are showing color as is the Andromeda bush. I think the first week in March might be the time to put my cocoons out, although it’s still going to depend on the weather.
Mason bees will fly in cooler temperatures (50-55 degrees), but they hatch out in slightly warmer temperatures. I’m looking for a week where I see temperatures in the 60s for a few days, little to no rain, and plenty of bloom about to break open. I don’t think the bloom will be a problem. For now, I will keep my eyes open for flying insects on warmer dryer days and I will put out nesting materials to “wild capture” any mason bees looking for a home.
For the past 3 Saturdays I’ve been doing “bee talks”. There has been a noticeable increase in interest over the past 10 years, and I’d like to think, a noticeable increase in knowledge. Thanks to everyone who took the time to come out to listen to my babbling at WSU, Tsugawa Nursery, and Cowlitz County Beekeepers Association.
Notes for Today, November 5, 2020
It’s November, and the talks have already started. Last Friday I spoke to an energetic and enthusiastic group of new master gardeners. The subject was pollinators and the emphasis was on bees. I think they now have an interest in my favorite bee. Cowlitz County is becoming “mason bee savy”. The next class happens this Saturday for the public and is sponsored by Washington State University. I’ve done this particular class since 2012 and it’s always changed, always been full, and always been fun. I can’t wait to see what this one brings.
I had an interesting call this morning from a person who will be moving and wants to take her bees with her. She’s got more than a “few straws”, so it’s quite an undertaking. She won’t be moving far, and the bees will be in the same type of environment. Her mother could take some, so my advice was to move them as cocoons if she could establish them before the first of May. After that, they would lose too much fat stores and about half would not survive, or couldn’t hatch. She could send half to her mother’s place and retain half if she wasn’t sure of the move date. Her question was could she box them up at night (like honey bees), and transport them. Would they stay with the boxes. Not all mason bees go back to the nest at night. Males will tend to sleep out in trees and bushes…and any hole that fits. Females will tend to sleep in the nest, but not always. Even if she managed to transport to a new location, I understand that they do not reorient themselves (like honeybees do). I plan to test the theory this spring, but considering they don’t have to protect a hive, I suspect this is true.
There is a new invasive pest that has been identified and made its way to the Northwest. Please take a look at this link from Crown Bees. It’s yet another reason why we need to clean our nests in the fall. Here’s a bit of the article, and what to do.
The USDA warns of an emerging parasitic fly species spreading from the east to west coast. Known in Europe as the Houdini fly, this pest threatens the mason bee industry. Learn how to reduce this pest’s impact and protect your mason bee population.
How to Control Houdini Fly Infestations
- Harvest Mason Bee Cocoons: Open your nesting materials before your mason bees emerge in the spring and destroy the maggots. Harvesting cocoons is the best way to reduce this pest and you will also reduce other harmful mason bee pests and diseases.
- Control the Emergence of Adult Mason Bees: If you cannot open your nesting materials, purchase a BeeGuard Bag and place your nesting holes inside the bag and close tightly. When mason bees emerge in the spring, release the adult bees daily and kill any parasitic flies.
- Raise Awareness: Share this page with your friends and family who raise mason bees. Help our spring pollinators by learning healthy bee management practices!
https://crownbees.com/houdinifly?utm_source=ZohoCampaigns&utm_campaign=February+2020+BeeMail&utm_medium=email
Notes for Today, January 18, 2020
Well the good news is, the snow pack has finally caught up and surpassed what we should get for the year for our water. There is no bad news. It’s January, folks, and it should be cold and wet and gray, and dreary. The days are short, but I can feel it getting lighter and so, my “spring genes” are sprouting.
Our cocoons are still in hibernation. Periodically, about every other day, I open their refrigerator door (yes, they have their own) to allow oxygen in and give their trays a stir. They are nestled about 1 inch deep in containers so I like to give the ones on the bottom a chance to change places. The only other thing in the non frost-free refrigerator is bottled water. So far, after 3 years, I have not had any problems with mold. I don’t store fruits or vegetables (or cheese), and I think that makes a big difference.
We just finished cleaning up the nesting materials from last fall. Although harvesting happens in October and November and the cocoons are cleaned and stored, the take apart nesting material still has to be scraped out, and put away. My husband uses a brass wire motorized wheel. Steel would tear up the take apart boxes. With 50 large and 26 medium nesting boxes, for a total of over 12,000 slots to clean, he’s opted for a little more mechanization than a wire brass brush. He is cleaning out his shop and taking inventory for boxes and nesting material for spring. It’s time to make repairs on our fostering boxes, check on the number of starter boxes we have for a class that will happen in February, and build retail boxes we have for stores. Building new boxes, weatherproofing and painting must happen at least a couple of weeks before we put out the cocoons. January begins our busy season.
Last year we had some very weird spring weather. It was still cold when it was time to put out our cocoons. We watched our bloom and the forecast to pick the best time. Because we have so many to place, our folks who have higher elevations are placed about a week later. Even then, there was a late snow that caught us off guard. This year, my fingers, toes and eyes are crossed that we are blessed better weather. Check our website for talks and classes coming up in February. Most are free, unless you are receiving starter kits with bees and boxes.
Stay tuned.
Notes for Today, September 17, 2019
Well, the rains have come early and with a vengeance, so fall is a wee bit early, but definitely here. My mason bee cocoons are safely housed in our shed, nice and dry and cool, but not cold. This is not quite the time to be harvesting and refrigerating mason bee cocoons.
Our summer and spring has been a mixture of hot when it’s supposed to be cool, rainy when we expect dry, cool when it should be hot…just not what I would consider a “normal” year. We had less than optimal return on our bees with the cocoon count being just over double what we invested (it should be 4 times that amount). The good news is we set up more locations and further out, than we ever have before, and our fruit trees were loaded. My hope is that even though we didn’t have our bees nesting in our boxes, they found other locations in the environment. After all, our main goal has been to get our native bees back out in the area where they belong. What we did find was an increase in wasps, specifically yellow jackets. I don’t know if they chased our bees out, or took up residence after the mason bees left. I’m looking forward to “harvesting” our nesting boxes to see what level of predators and blossom mites we find. Our first harvest class is October 12that the training center for WSU in Longview. It’s always fun!
October, as usual, is shaping up to be a very busy month for harvest classes and taking care of our “buzzy babies”.
Notes for Today, April 27, 2019
We’re nearing the end of the time when we can put out our cocoons. Beyond next week the hatch rate will be reduced due to the lack of vigor in the bees. At this time of year, they have absorbed their fat stores and really need food in the form of nectar. Some of them won’t have the energy to chew their way out of their cocoons. So, if you haven’t put out your cocoons, now is the time!
Despite the late spring and wet early April, or bees seem to be doing well. The girls are really busy zipping in and out of the nesting areas, almost in a frenzy to get things done. Everything is in full bloom, and with the warmer days, they are in full flight. It’s amazing to see the females come out of the small cocoons and within a couple of days, almost double in size. They are now developing and carrying eggs and their round little “bums” attest to that fact as they fly into the nesting holes. We are starting to see filled up holes. With the rain slacking off, it’s time to create some muddier areas. We have plenty of clay, and as the season goes forward, over the years I’ve noticed a few things; the clay color will change which means they are finding their sources in different areas.
It’s too early for me to find parasitic wasps, and I won’t be able to tell how much damage blossom mites have done until I harvest in the fall. We have had one site pulled apart by squirrels. Our solution is to staple chicken wire across the front of the nesting box. Since the tubes are several inches from the front of the box, hopefully this will keep more damage from being done. If not, next year this will not be a considered location.
Here’s hoping for a good year. The weather is finally cooperating!
Notes for Today, March 31, 2019
It’s always fun to go on a road trip to disperse our cocoons to different locations, and it’s always a relief to finish the trip. This year was a 5 day marathon. We traveled to 5 counties in 2 states, so it really was nice to get home. Here’s what we found. In the lower elevations everything is well on it’s way to blooming. Plum, pieris japonica, willow, big leaf maple, dandelion, Oregon grape, blueberry, and other early blooming trees and bushes are all providing forage. Asian pear is just starting to break. In the upper elevations I saw willow, heather, and pieris japonica but not much else. Last week some of the highest elevations had snow. Still, we put out our cocoons on Friday and we are keeping our fingers crossed.
At our place our “boys” started hatching in 24 hours and we found them (after some nectar), waiting impatiently for the “girls” to hatch. Hatching for the females started about 3-4 days later. Today I saw one of the females go into the nesting hole, so the egg laying has begun!
The next few days have a lot of rain in them, but with a little luck, we will have some sun breaks and they will be able to get out and forage.
Notes for Today, March 19, 2019
Just a short note for today…we are about to get really busy.
With 70 degree weather, the plum trees have exploded with bloom. Yesterday I put out cocoons near our Asian plum. Today I checked on them and 6 of the cocoons have already hatched. As the bloom happens more I will be setting out more cocoons in different parts of the property. Normally, bees take a few days to a week to start hatching. The warm weather certainly speeded things up. Just be sure that if you put out your cocoons in warm weather, you have bloom ready for them. We are starting our placement of cocoons this week in other locations in several counties. We are making sure that the locations have bloom ready. It’s going to get cooler, and we will have some rain, but it’s definitely time!
One other bit of “wisdom”, bees really don’t go for daffodils so if you are counting on those early spring flowers to attract or feed your mason bees…don’t.
Notes for Today, March 10, 2019
It’s warming up! If we had bloom ready for the bees, I’d be putting them out to get things started. This coming week we will be in the 60s and it looks like a perfect week, but our plum tree has tight little buds not ready to open…no color yet. Even our Peiris Japonica is struggling to put out any bloom. If you are in our area, and your yard has blooms opening that could be good forage, then this is a good week to put out your cocoons.
If you want to try a “wild capture” now is the time to put out your houses and nesting material. Remember to place your houses in a sunny, non-windy, secure site. If there are mason bees anywhere in the vicinity, they will be looking for a home. That’s how we got our first bees. Our neighbor had bought bees and placed them in his apple orchard in March. Apple trees don’t flower until April and he had nothing else in bloom. Our property looked like a smorgasbord with plum, maple, andromeda all in bloom. We drilled a temporary box and put it up in a sunny location, and quickly started learning about mason bees. He still swears we stole his bees.
There is one tip I keep forgetting to write about. When your bees hatch, they will mark their territory with a pheromone scent. Chances are, you won’t see the markings from the females, they mark the inside of the tubes to make sure they have the right nesting hole. The boys are a different matter. They will leave a marking, tan in color on your bee houses. Don’t clean it off! It works in your favor. The next year your mason bees will take the hint that this is “home”.
Notes for Today, March 2, 2019
A big “thank you” to Vancouver Community Library for sponsoring the mason bee talk today. We had a nice turnout of several enthusiastic people with lots of great questions. I want to acknowledge, especially, the two young folks who came with their parents. They will make a difference with the next generation.
Normally I don’t blog this quickly after the last “Notes” page, but it occurred to me, it might be good to say a few words about nesting material and nest boxes. I’m sure there may be some who disagree with me, but this comes from my own 10 years experience, so take the information and use it if you want to…or not.
Nest boxes are the “outer shell” that keep nesting materials dry and mitigate the heat and cold. We use wood because it helps with temperature control. Metal and plastic don’t do as good a job as wood and treated cardboard doesn’t last as long. Even if nest boxes are put in a protected area, moisture can still get to them. We also make our boxes an inch or two longer than our nesting material (straws or pull apart boxes). Again, it helps protect from the weather, but in addition, it helps keep predatory birds (blue jays, flickers, woodpeckers, etc.) from getting to the cocoons and bees especially if some kind of bee friendly screening, like chicken wire, is put on the front of the box. The extra space in front also acts like a sunny “front porch” for bees to warm up in the morning and to dry their wings when they are newly hatched.
Nesting material is the material in which the mason bees use to lay their eggs. I’ve seen patio furniture, T-111 siding, the bottom of a portable drill, knot holes, conduit, irrigation pipe…anything with a 5/16 inch hole used for nesting material. They are desperate when they are in “egg laying” mode. Mason bees like 5/16 inch hole to lay their eggs. They will lay in a 3/8 inch hole, but it’s more work (more mud). Anything larger and they won’t bother. Smaller than 5/16 and they will either lay all male eggs, or they won’t bother. As a rule, less than 4 inches long and they will lay all male eggs or they won’t bother. Are you sensing a trend here? The optimum length is about 5 ½ to 6 inches. They will lay in longer tubes or holes, but it’s a long walk for a little bee. DO NOT USE PAPER OR PLASIC STRAWS like you get from a restaurant. DO NOT USE JUST THE PAPER LINERS without the guard tubes. Parasitic wasps will have a field day. Copier paper works well with several wraps around a 5/16 inch dowel…Elmer’s glue to close. I’ve heard that parchment paper or freezer paper work well, but I haven’t tried it. Teasel, reeds, sunflower stems can be used, but only once. Bamboo shouldn’t be used because you can’t “harvest” the cocoons, and using the bamboo for more than one year invites pests and diseases, which will infest the following year.
There is a lot more on this subject, but that’s the “Reader’s Digest” version. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. We’re here to help.
Notes for Today, February 28, 2019
First, thanks to Tsugawa Nursery for hosting the mason bee talk. Several folks made it down from the snow-covered hills to join us, and we had a good and active group of 15. We had lots of great questions. I never get tired of talking to people about these bees.
We will not have a normal spring, I’m afraid. Our weather is just strange this year…nothing is doing what it should. With January being very warm and February being very cold our vegetation has slowed it’s early appearance. You can almost hear the trees and bushes and flowers shivering, “not yet, not yet”. February only had one 50 degree day in Portland, and we are still getting snow. I don’t see any early blooms. Normally, about this time, we start looking for a week of warmer weather. During some years, we have set out our cocoons the first week of March. The bloom was there and the weather was fine. This year the 10 day forecast for Woodland shows us barely getting beyond 50 degrees. Unless things change, I won’t be considering putting out my cocoons for at least another 2 weeks. I’ll check the bloom to make sure they have enough forage even it’s warm enough.
For elevations above 500 feet, it will be a week beyond the lower elevations; again, checking for forage.
The next talk is Saturday, March 2 nd at Vancouver Community Library.
Spring will come and usually, if it’s delayed, it will come all at once. I’m ready!
Notes for Today, February 16, 2019
Finally, the snows have slowed a bit in our area. Everything in the lower elevations has turned to beautiful, cold rain. It’s normal once again. Unless things change dramatically, we won’t have an early spring, but here’s hoping for an “average” one.
Today was a class full of enthusiastic mason bee students. Even after cancelling and rescheduling the class (snow!), we still had 35 folks ready to get started with their cocoons. Usually, after a few years of running these classes, they run their course and we can schedule them for every other year. With the mason bee class, we seem to fill to capacity every year. I think people are discovering what fantastic pollinators these little critters are.
We are starting our disbursements of bees, boxes, and nesting material to our nurseries in the area. It’s too early to set them out, but people are starting to ask for them and we need to be ahead of the curve. It’s almost like being a sprinter at the starting line and waiting for the gun to go off.
Meanwhile, there is still time to get your housing ready with new paint, checking the viability (are they coming apart?), and getting the nesting material prepared. If you have purchased bees, make sure they are in a cool, moist place (like your crisper drawer). If they are wrinkled, you need to increase the moisture. If they have a bit of mold on them, it’s not the end of the world. A cup of cool water with a tablespoon of Clorox will get the mold off. Just swirl the cocoons around in the water and then rinse thoroughly with cool fresh water. Fully dry on a paper towel in a cool place before refrigerating again. When I first started out I had cocoons that were totally covered in mold…totally green! They all hatched after this cleaning method.
Stay tuned…
Notes for Today, January 30, 2019
I’ve not posted anything for several months, and the season has started up again (at least with the talks I do), so I think it’s time to get serious with posting. When it gets closer to time to put out our bees (March), I will try to write something every week.
First, a big “thank you” to Woodland Public Library for inviting me to give a talk. We had a good turnout of about 30 people, including some families with young folks, which is always nice to see. We passed around bees (dead ones from last year), hatched cocoons, nesting material, and extra publications from Xerces. Folks got to see some examples of boxes and how they are made. There were lots of questions and I think we answered them all. I’ve been invited to come back next year, so it’s a date for sometime next late winter/early spring.
In-between pruning, cleaning up the garden, and trying to convince our new chickens that it’s time to lay, we are in the middle of creating new bee boxes for a class at the training center for Washington State Extension. The class has filled, but I’ve given the OK to add another 10 seats…I can talk loud!
If you have mason bees and are waiting for spring, now is the time to check your boxes. Clean out any unwanted critters alive or dead. Check your tops, if you use boxes that have lids. Weather, over time, can warp wood. Does anything need a new coat of paint? You will want to have enough time to allow the paint fumes to dissipate before installing your bees. Make new boxes, or containers if your harvest was good last year. I always have an extra container or two with nesting material ready, in case I see a bee looking for a home in an odd place.
We have about a month or 6 weeks to go before “liftoff” and time to put the bees out for the lower elevations in this area. Next month will be time to start watching for what’s blooming in your area…that’s the fun part!
It’s been a few months since I have posted. Sometimes life gets in the way, and in this case it certainly did.
Notes for today, August 4, 2018
All our mason bees died their natural death in June and left their “babies” for us to take care of. In nature, no one has to work with the eggs that are laid and turning into larva, but when you are raising them in tubes and nesting boxes the situation is different and the responsibility is yours. It’s much like raising cattle or sheep or chickens. Keeping them disease free and limiting pests and parasites becomes a duty. When you put the cocoons out into your yard next spring you don’t want to increase the parasites or chalk brood so it’s a good idea to harvest in the fall.
Right now, if my guess on the timing is right, the larva are in their cocoons starting to become “real bees”. I have a friend who mistakenly thought he should refrigerate his tubes with the larva during the summer. They never developed into bees. So the moral of the story is…don’t refrigerate your bees in the summer. It’s not cold in summer in nature so it shouldn’t be cold for your bees. Please wait until October or November to harvest your cocoons and put them into cold storage.
We will be having labs and classes on harvesting your bees and storing them for spring. Check our calendar in a couple of weeks for dates.
Notes for today, May 6, 2018
For Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon
I got a phone call today from a very nice lady wondering if I had any mason bees for
sale. I told her that I didn’t and the reason why we release our before May. They are
in a form of hibernation since about August and have been surviving on their fat
stores. Just about May they tend to run out and only about 50% or so will hatch. I
suggested she wait until next year, and at her elevation she needs to keep an eye on
the bloom and the weather. I think she heeded my advice because she thanked me. It
takes a bit of understanding to realize that these are spring bees, not what most
people normally think of when they think of pollinators.
Our “girls” are fully engaged in their egg laying. The sun is out, it’s warm and
(according to my allergies) everything is in bloom. They come in heavily loaded with
yellow pollen and eager to get it “stuffed” into the nest. They go in headfirst to
disgorge the nectar, back out, turn around and go backside in to scrape off their
pollen. It’s fun to watch. I’ve seen a few of the “boys” on their last legs (wings). I
picked one little guy up and put him on a strawberry flower. At least his last meal
was a good one.
Notes for today, April 22, 2018
For Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon
Well, spring is finally here (and a bit of summer). We are starting to put out the last of our cocoons since putting them out later than this coming week will mean that a lot of them won’t have the vigor to survive. By this time of year they have used up almost all their fat stores that have allowed them to survive in their cocoon since last August.
What we are seeing (finally) at our site are the females starting to lay their eggs. Males will tend to search the entrance to a lot of holes or straws to search for females, while the girls will find the right location after one or two tries and go in to deposit their nectar or mud. If you wait about a minute, they may come out, turn around and go back in to deposit pollen and maybe an egg! Our girls are looking big and healthy and their flying seems to be brisk. I was concerned after such a bad season last year that they would have enough food to survive. I haven’t checked, but it also looks like we have over 90% hatch. I’ll know more when I do a count at the end of the season.
Once our sunny days show up, it’s not too long before our soil dries out. Keep an eye out for mud that looks a bit dry, and add some moisture to it. A couple minutes spraying with a hose should be enough to re-wet the soil. Hope you’re seeing some activity!
Notes for today, April 11, 2018
For Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon
A short note for today because I think it’s worth mentioning. Several of you are
asking if the bees should be put out now, or if you should wait until the weather gets
better. I have two thoughts on this, and you can take your pick if you want to.
My first thought is to get them out soon. It’s almost mid April and about mid season
for the bees in a normal spring. This is another cold wet spring. Putting them out on
Friday means that Saturday’s “warmish” dry day will help them to hatch, and the
following week has some dry, warmer days in it.
The second idea is to hatch them inside the house in a warm environment. I have
approximately 100 cocoons in a clear plastic box, with holes in the top of the box
(think strawberry or lettuce container from the store). They started hatching the
next day. As they hatch, I put them outside in a protected nesting box. For the last 3
days, I’ve had nothing but males hatching, and this morning several females have
hatched. I can pick the boys up because then have no stinger and just “buzz”
between my fingers. My females aren’t trapped in that way. Once I take them
outside, I offer my finger as a warm perch and I can move them out of the box.
Sometimes I just gently scrape them out. The only downside to this is they might fly
off. With our fliptop boxes, we put them in the upper section and it gives them
enough time to settle in. This method is helpful if you want to make sure they hatch
out at a certain date.
Be aware that both methods don’t mean they will immediately stay with the nesting
box. They have a habit of flying off and hiding in the weeds. When the sun hits the
front of the box and has a chance to warm it, you should see them coming back and
lots of activity.
Notes for today, April 8, 2018
For Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon
OK…I’m going to whine a bit, I miss the sun! My bees have been out sporadically
(and they are still hatching) so it doesn’t feel quite as bad as last year, but still not a
great spring. There is plenty of forage for them. Our pear trees are in full bloom and
the big leaf maple trees are starting to bloom. The maples are easy to spot. The long
greenish yellow flowers come out before the leaves and you can see them in the
forest this time of year. The sun will be out tomorrow (I hear Little Orphan Annie
singing in my head). I’ve watched my bees when the sun hits their boxes and they
get really active. So far, I think most of the activity has to do with the males checking
the nesting area for females.
I’m still hearing from people whose cocoons are mysteriously gone. Please folks, put
chicken wire up as soon as you put your cocoons out. Birds are very quick to find
food, and your cocoons are a convenient snack.
Someone please do a sun dance!
Notes for today, March 29, 2018
For Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon
I’ve been concerned about not seeing bees after they hatch. My assumption was that they were hiding out in the weeds, trees, buildings…anything to give them protection until the weather was stable enough for them to start nesting and not that they had left the area. Well, my assumption proved true. Today is sunny, and some of the boxes are in full sun. When I opened the flip top on our boxes, there were several bees warming themselves inside the “attic” of the box (see pictures of boxes on this website). This only proved that they stay in the box when it is warm. What showed me that they were holding up in buildings and trees and didn’t leave was watching lots of them flying in and out of the nesting boxes. We are also finding them in the house on the south facing windows. It took a trip to the roof to screen up a new attic fan to make sure they didn’t find our attic too enticing for nesting. At least it verifies that the “girls” are hatching as well as the boys. I can usually tell from the size of the cocoon, but it’s nice to see the actual female up close and personal. To catch the boys, I just picked them up (no stinger). To catch the girls, I use a glass to cup over them, and then a stiff piece of paper to slide between the glass and the surface of the window. So far I’ve released about ten (much happier) bees.
We’ve talked to several people who had problems last year with the bees flying away and not nesting where they were placed. First of all, as we have said before, the weather was the worst we’ve seen for mason bees in the 10 years we’ve been doing this. There was way too much rain at the wrong time of the year. Bees will disperse looking for a better location, and females will absorb their eggs in an effort to stay alive. Even the large commercial suppliers had bad returns last year.
We’ve also talked to a few folks who either don’t know about the saving grace of chicken wire for their boxes or put it on after the bees have hatched. Birds will eat the cocoons, too. You need to put the wire on as soon as you put the cocoons out. One more tip about chicken wire…it has a wide side and a narrow side to the opening. Because the bees fly through the wire, put the wide side lengthways to make it easier for the wings to fit. We recommend 1-inch chicken wire.
Notes for today, March 21, 2018
For Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon
Well, we’ve had our typical spring…all 2 days of it. Our bees are hatching. They’ve been out for a couple of weeks and just a few of them hatched, but as soon as the 60 degree weather and sun came out, they started popping like popcorn. I took the time to watch one little guy (they are all boys at this point) slowly come out of his cocoon. As soon as his front legs were free, he stroked his long antennae and stepped into a new world. We had plenty of bloom close by to get his first nourishing meal since August.
Now the weather is turning cold and rainy with temperatures not getting above the 40s. Rain, cloudy days with showers are expected. To make sure my hatched bees can have enough forage until they can get out again, I will be placing cotton balls soaked with sugar water in each of the boxes. It’s easy enough to do since I can just open the lid, place the cotton ball near the bees, or scoop the bees near the cotton ball. It’s a bit messy, but it works. Next week looks a lot better with temperatures in the 60s.
We put cocoons out in 2 states (4 counties), in people’s yards and small orchards. They get the pollination, and we get the mason bee larva back in June. Those cocoons (about 3,000) that we put out should make it through the cooler weather and start hatching early next week. Lots of bloom out, so I’m hoping we got the timing right. After such a rotten spring last year, I have high hopes for this spring.
Notes for today, March 6, 2018
For Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon
We are finally coming out of our colder temperatures, but don’t look for the suntan lotion just yet. The nights are still cold, and there is still a lot of rain in the forecast BUT…next week may be time for the earliest of mason bee cocoons to be put out. That being stated, here are a few “if” statements to modify what I just said.
If the bloom is not out yet on your property, and won’t be out for a week, hold off.
If you are up in elevation (500 feet or more), it might not be quite time.
If you have an orchard and the bloom is later in the spring, and you don’t have enough forage before the bloom, hold off.
If you are not sure, there is no harm in waiting until it’s a little warmer and dryer.
It’s still a little cool, and a little wet. It doesn’t look like we will be getting our traditional “false spring”, so if it looks like things are starting to bust out in bloom (color is showing in the bloom) and you want to get going, here are some tips. Look for a stretch of weather that has a few days of sun and warmer weather (60s). They should start hatching in a couple of days. If the weather turns cool, or if the bees have hatched and are not getting out (too cold, too wet), put a cotton ball soaked in sugar syrup (1:1) near the hatched bees. The first bees to hatch will be males, and they need carbohydrates to live. The syrup will provide that. Make sure your nest and bee box is facing south, southeast, or east. You want them to have as much sun as possible in the morning to get them warmed up and going. If you have a bee box with an “attic”, the temperature in that space will be considerably warmer than the outside area, and will help to hatch the bees. If the outside area is in the 50s, the “attic” area could be in the 70s if the sun is shining on the box. Even small boxes without an extra space will have more warmth to them as long as the sun is shining on the box. Once the bees have hatched, they can warm themselves up to fly even if the temperatures are in the 50s.
We are at (about) 170 feet. Some of the locations for our bees are in full sun and well protected from the rain. I see temperatures this weekend getting into the 60s, but the 10 day forecast has it back into the low 50s with rain. Our plum trees, skimmia, and Andromeda are close to blooming. I have a lot of cocoons, so at this point, I will probably put out a small number to see how they do. I will hold off putting the rest out until the weather settles a bit. If you have a small number of cocoons, don’t split them…put them all out at once.
It’s a guessing game sometimes, folks. Good luck to everyone!
Notes for today, February 20, 2018
It’s only fair that we now have January weather in February; after all, we had February weather in January. I have little hope for my plum tree that showed color in the blossoms before the freezing temperatures happened. It’s still too early to put out your bees, and judging from the weather, it looks like spring will be set back a couple of weeks. I have seen flowering cherry, willow, and plum starting to bloom out in areas as far south as Sherwood and as far north as Longview at lower elevations.
I’ve spent the past 3 weeks talking to over 100 people about mason bees. Some of the people I’ve talked to are master gardeners in training who will be able to talk to the public about these pollinators when the questions come up. Education is one of the strong components that will allow these bees to survive and thrive.
If you have bees you are storing in your refrigerator, make sure they have enough moisture so they won’t dry out, but don’t allow the cocoons to get wet. If your cocoons get moldy, it’s really not going to hurt them, but you can clean them with a little Clorox in cold water, and rinsing in cold water. Let them dry on a paper towel in a cool area, and then put them back into the refrigerator.
Notes for today, February 2, 2018
Looking through my notes from last year, it really brings home how different this year is from last year. I had really hoped for a little more cold weather, but looking at the forecast for the next two weeks, I see only a warming trend. Don’t be fooled, it’s still not time to bring out the bees. I can see blossoms swelling on our plum tree, but nothing is yet in bloom that would appeal to the blue orchard bee. Having said all of that, it’s time to get ready for putting out your boxes. It feels like an early spring!
If you haven’t already done so, clean out and repair your bee houses. Get your nesting material ready. Find a suitable spot to put your house(s) up. If you have bees in refrigeration, check to make sure they have enough moisture, but are not moldy. If you do not have bees, but want to purchase some, check your local nurseries and shops first. Bees coming from locations other than the northwest are not acclimated to our area and may have a hard time with our maritime weather. Most blue orchard bees will be boxed up in containers of 10 each. Boxes will usually contain 6 males and 4 females…that’s the ratio that normally happens in the wild. Purchasing 2 boxes, if you can, better insures success. Not all bees will hatch, some will fly off, predators can eat some, and the environment will just kill some. It’s a rough life out there!
If you see wild bees, or you thought you might have seen them last year, you can try a “wild capture”. Find a sunny location that is protected from wind and put out a house with nesting material a week or so before you would normally put out your bees. This year, the timing might be a little early because spring (and bloom) might be early. This is a good time to remind everyone NOT to use plastic straws. Plastic holds in moisture and can kill bees and larva.
If you have any questions, we are always available by email off of this website.
Notes for today, November 19, 2017
Well, our cocoons are finally harvested, washed, and put away into the cooler. It was a very hard spring for the mason bees, but with hard years come good lessons. Our count of cocoons was less than half of what we got last year (which was a banner year for us), but we still managed to come up with enough for putting out next spring and for our regular customers.
Now for the lessons, although I would say they are more like “discoveries”. The first thing we noticed was that there were a lot of dead bees in the nesting material. Normally we find 2 or 3 in the 50 plus 96 hole nesting boxes we put out. This year we had close to 20. They die off naturally after about 6 weeks, so I’m not sure if they just died closer to home, or if there was something else going on. They didn’t look abnormal even under the microscope, so I suspect they came home to die. Why…I’m not sure.
The second discovery was the amount of pollen loaf left behind without being consumed by the mason bee larva. Here’s what I think happened. When the female mason bee is unable to get out and forage, after a few days she starts to reabsorb her eggs. She needs to keep alive to be able to lay whatever eggs she may have left. Since she can’t fly during heavy rains, she will not be “ageing”. Her wings are not being used and so she may live longer than the usual 6 weeks. Since she doesn’t have eggs to lay, she simply continues to do what she is programmed to do and that is to bring in the pollen and nectar and seal up the cells. What you wind up with is several cells without developing larva to eat the pollen loaf.
The third discovery was the amount of blossom mites we found. I don’t know why this year was so bad, but again, I suspect the weather had something to do with it.
We found no chalk brood, and (so far) few parasitic wasps. All the locations we used, with a few exceptions, were the same as previous years. Next year I will have more time, and we plan on keeping a record of the box locations. I want to know if there are locations that are having problems with blossom mites, in particular.
Any conclusions about these observations are conjecture; however, the bottom line on all of this, folks, it that it really pays to harvest your cocoons even if you have just a few. I at least have the satisfaction that all those blossom mites WON’T be going back into my yard (or anyone else’s).
Notes for today, October 5, 2017
Here we are already into October. I don’t know what happened to September, but I suspect it slipped by while we were harvesting and canning. October is the month we concentrate on planting garlic and, of course, harvesting our mason bees cocoons.
The heavy spring rains in March and April reduced the amount of cocoons we expected, but like any farmer or rancher you deal with the weather the best you can. With an estimate of over 10,000 cocoons, we will still have plenty for next year.
We have started our harvest classes so we are just now getting an idea of what pests and diseases are in the area (thank you Vancouver Mall Library). I will hold my comments on this until I see more of what everyone brings in. In our yard the mites are showing up in pretty heavy numbers…more on this later after we finish our harvest. This is why I harvest. I don’t want those mites back in my yard. Our next harvest class is this Saturday at Tsugawa Nursery and I am anxious to see what everyone brings in.
Whether you use the sand or the water method, or a combination of the two it is important to take care of your cocoons. Bees in the wild will use different areas to lay their eggs. They will leave, usually after a few years, if the holes fill up with parasites. We are concentrating the nesting areas, which leave them more susceptible to pests and diseases. If we don’t clean out the nesting areas, all the pests and diseases will end up back in our yard to infect the next year’s crop.
If you get the chance and are near the Woodland Washington area, come join us for a free harvest talk and class. If you don’t have your own cocoons but want the experience you can use ours (I keep the cocoons!). It’s a chance to talk to people who are raising mason bees, and to have fun learning about this special bee.
Tsugawa Nursery
410 Scott Ave., Woodland, WA
Saturday, October 7, 2017, 11:00am
http://tsugawanursery.com/events.htm
Notes for today, July 30, 2017
With temperatures scheduled to be in the 100s for this area, I thought I might say a few words about your nesting mason bee cocoons. If they are still out in their nesting sites it might be wise to bring them in to a cooler area such as a shed or garage. Please remember to protect them with bug proof screening (mouse proof too if you have rodent issues like we do). Don’t put them in the refrigerator or cooler, it’s much too early for that and they won’t develop properly.
Your cocoons at this stage of development will be changing from larva to bee. Once they have eaten all their nectar and pollen stores left for them in the egg chamber they will start spinning their cocoons. It is a dangerous time for them since they have no defenses and parasitic wasps can locate the cocoons (and feces…bee poop) by smell.
The blue orchard bee is only one variety of over 140 types of orchard bees here in the Northwest. This bee and the Japanese hornfaced bee have very similar habits and use the same nesting material. For early spring pollinators, they are the ones to count on.
Notes for Today June 9, 2017
This was certainly not the spring we had last year. Although the temperature has been more seasonal for the Northwest, the record rainfall this early spring took a toll on our bee population. Normally mason bees can fly in our “off and on” drizzle and they work their nesting area a little slower than sunny days, but they still manage. We had record rains, and they were heavy. We estimate that our bee harvest will be half of what it was last year. Our plum and cherry trees had plenty of bloom, but very little got pollinated.
We did have one location that had a bumper crop, and we have a theory about what happened. The location is about 1,000 feet up in elevation. Their bloom happened about a month later than the lower elevations and their plum trees were pollinated while ours were not. The later bloom in the higher elevation allowed the mason bees to get out and forage when the weather improved later in the spring.
It’s now time to pick up and protect the developing larva. We’re later than usual, but because of the bad weather our mason bees didn’t do as much flying. This allowed them to live longer since their wings were not so torn up. Unfortunately with too much time spent waiting for the rains to stop, I believe the females absorbed some of the eggs for nutrition…a little survival trick. It should be interesting to see what else we find in our nesting material when we harvest this October. Because of the late pickup, we may find more parasitic wasps than normal.
Notes for Today, May 16, 2017
Well folks, it’s been a long, rainy, cool spring and the bees are showing the effects of it. Our nesting areas should be over halfway filled by this time, but they are less than 1/3rd filled. The only good news is that there is plenty of mud and with less flying time they should last a little longer into the spring. I can almost feel them shivering. Hang on little bees, sun and warmer weather is the forecast for the rest of the week.
Our bloom is another thing that has decreased. As far as I can tell, most of the plum, apple, pear, cherry, blueberry, huckleberry, and lingonberry from our property have finished blooming. Most of the maple trees are done, although there may be a late one or two. Our strawberries are in bloom and the raspberries should be soon, so I think they are relying on a smattering of wildflowers…including dandelions.
Keep your fingers crossed that we hit a sunny spot and our hardworking girls can find enough forage.
Notes for today, April 21, 2017
Today was our one totally sunny day and the bees were out and working. I was asked earlier “where are my bees”. When our bees first hatched they didn’t stick around the nest, they headed for the bushes and trees and anything else they chose for shelter. Once the females hatch, they too may or may not stay with the nest area. Once their eggs develop they head for the nesting areas. Sometimes you don’t see the activity until a sunny day when their activity increases. On a day like today, it’s a good time to take a moment or two and watch the nesting boxes.
Four days ago we have a break in the weather and noticed the females actually going into the holes. The males will make quick runs at the entrance checking for females, but bees that go into the holes and stay awhile are packing in the mud, food, and eggs. Today we spotted our first filled hole. Once they get started, they are really quick if the weather lets them. Showers will slow them down but rain will stop them. If the rains happen for too long of a stretch, your females will start absorbing their eggs. It’s nature’s way of ensuring the bee stays alive long enough to lay the rest of her eggs. I don’t see that solid of a rain event coming, but please don’t quote me. Luckily we have plenty in bloom for them to forage. The big leaf maple is in full bloom. The trees look they have hundreds of dangling chartreuse earrings hanging from their branches…beautiful.
If you start to see bees dying, take a closer look they could be males (look for the little white patch on their head). Males only live 2 weeks so if you put them out 2-3 weeks ago, they could be naturally dying off…short life but a merry one.
Notes for today, April 2, 2017
Four days ago, our first cocoons that we put out 14 days ago started hatching. Two days ago, the cocoons we put out last weekend (7 days) started hatching. The warmer the weather, the quicker the hatch and since lots of trees and bushes have burst into bloom this is a good thing. I’ve seen big leaf maple in bloom, so their main source of food in the wild is available. It’s a good indicator that our timing was good.
I have a friend who had several small boxes of cocoons stored in her refrigerator. The refrigerator died, and in the process, dipped below freezing and then created enough condensation to create a wet and eventually warm environment. We weren’t sure the bees were alive after two days in this environment. We took the cocoons out, dried them on the kitchen counter and placed them in totally clear plastic container with holes. After two days we had our first hatch…about 10 bees, boys of course. At the end of day two, we’ve had about one fourth of the entire group of cocoons hatch. I noticed that they seemed to only hatch out during the day and towards afternoon they stopped hatching. I don’t know if it’s natural sunlight that’s doing it, or a timing thing they have in their system. Tonight I’m going to put them in a dark room to see if it changes anything. No girls have hatched yet, but they haven’t hatched in the groups we’ve put outside either. One of the things I did learn about picking up newly hatched bees to put them outside is they will “buzz” your fingers to try and get away. I’ve learned to place my finger near them, and they will usually climb on board making it easier to transport them to a box. They are also not staying in the box where they hatched, but are somewhere out in the trees and bushes. It’s OK as long as they come back for the girls.
It continues to be an interesting year.
Waiting for the girls to hatch.
March 28, 2017
First hatchling of the year 2017.
Notes for today, March 24, 2017
First, a big “thank you” to Al’s Nursery in Sherwood and Gresham for hosting the mason bee talks. It was a really nasty, rainy day (hydroplaning is not my favorite sport), but we still had a couple nice groups with good questions and lots of interest.
The spring bloom is about 2 weeks late this year due to the weather and it doesn’t look like it’s going to improve anytime soon. Plum trees are in bloom at the 200 foot level in Longview, Kalama, and Woodland. Last week, while in Sherwood I noticed the bloom through the Portland area was about 1 week ahead of the Longview area. At higher elevations (500-1000 feet) everything is about 1-2 weeks behind the lower elevations.
Taking the weather, temperatures, and elevation into account we decided to release about half of our cocoons in the lower elevations and wait until this weekend to release the rest. Nothing has hatched yet, but at least they are warmer than in the refrigerator. Last year our hatch was 97%, this year I’m not expecting it. When they do hatch out and start looking for food, they will certainly find it.
Good luck with your mason bees…it’s going to be a rough year.
Notes for today, March 15, 2017
Yes, we’ve had a ridiculous amount of rain, but the budding trees will not be denied and spring is on its way. There is no guarantee, but in looking at the next 10 day forecast, we will be seeing the sun for a couple of days. Although we will be getting more precipitation, it’s in the form of showers not rain (at least that’s what they tell me).
So here’s the deal. It’s time to put out your cocoons if you have bloom in your yard, or if your orchard bloom is showing color. If you are at a higher elevation please check your temperatures and make sure your bloom is out. Please make sure it’s bloom the bees will go for…daffodils don’t count. If the weather turns cold or rainy for more than a couple of days and your bees have hatched, soak a cotton ball in sugar water (1:1, or 2:1, I’ve heard both). Leave it near the bees so they can get it without moving too much.
Remember to place your box facing East, Southeast, or South to catch as much sun as you can. The box should be between 3-5 feet off the ground. If you have a windy site, try to protect it as much as possible, or find another location. Bees hate wind! Protect your bees from birds by putting chicken wire over the face of the box. Birds love bees!
Notes for Today, March 5, 2017
First and foremost, a big “thank you” to the folks in Stevenson, Washington for giving me a warm welcome. Stevenson is a beautiful town with a lovely library and the views are spectacular. I managed to take a picture just at sundown when I arrived. It’s a little dark, but you can see the mountains on the Oregon side with the Columbia River at its base. My group who came to hear the mason bee talk was most concerned about the environment. I share their concerns.
We are still too cold to put out cocoons, and the weather for the next week doesn’t look much better. We need about a week of temps in the 50s and less rain than we are getting now for the cocoons to hatch. The bloom has slowed, but it’s happening. On our property in Woodland, Washington the plum tree is showing color in the buds, our earliest maple tree is close to bloom, the pieris japonica (Andromeda) has started to bloom and the lilac is showing green buds. We took a trip to Bothel, Washington (east of Seattle) yesterday and along I-5 you could see a reddish color to some of the trees. I believe these were maples getting ready to bloom. Maples, especially the big leaf maple, are a major food source for our mason bees. Spring is coming, we just have to be patient.
This week we are putting out our boxes and nesting material without cocoons. There are a couple of reasons for this: First, we have a lot of cocoons to put out, so getting some of the boxes in place saves us time, and second, we have wild mason bees in the area and could do some wild capturing if there are some early hatches. It also allows us time to think about placement…what areas need more boxes, are their new areas we could try?
I’m also seeing a lot of flickers, blue jay, and woodpeckers. You can bet all my boxes will have a protective front of chicken wire to keep the birds from eating my cocoons and bees. All of our boxes are a couple of inches longer than the nesting material. It helps keep out the rain, the nesting material is too far back for birds to get to, and it allows our bees a “sun porch” to warm themselves up in the early morning without getting eaten. If you are building your own boxes, or are thinking about buying a box, keep that in mind. We find it really useful. Our boxes also have a hinged front that allows us to open the lid and observe what’s hatching. Just below the lid is an “attic” where we place our cocoons. Once they hatch, they escape through the two holes you see just above the chicken wire. My husband is thinking about selling the specs and instructions on building the house for a small fee. If anyone is interested, let me know and I’ll put him to work.
Notes for Today, February 23, 2017
This winter is slowly drawing to a close, but it is colder than usual and blooms are behind schedule. There are still a few weeks until blooms suitable for mason bees will be out. Not all bloom is suitable. Daffodils and early rhododendrons don’t count.
For those of you thinking about setting out your own boxes and straws, here are a few reminders. Inserts, by themselves, don’t give a lot of protection against parasitic wasps. If you buy inserts remember to include tubes. They are sold together, or separately, and the tubes will last for a few years.
All you need to tear open are the white inserts when you harvest. Reeds will also work. Do not use bamboo; you will need a hatchet to open it. Please do NOT use plastic straws like the ones you find at fast food places. Bees will bring in moisture when they use the straws and the moisture will not dissipate creating an environment not healthy for developing bees. Likewise, plain paper straws can be too soft and not hold up. You can make your own straws with copy paper, as long as there are several wraps to keep out parasitic wasps. Other materials such as parchment paper will work. If you make your own straws try for 5/16-inch hole. Smaller than that and you may get another type of bee other than the blue orchard mason bee (or Japanese horned face bee), or your bee cocoons will be all male. 3/8 inch will work, but will not be preferred. Your mason bee females don’t like to make extra trips to fill up a larger hole.
All tubes and straws need protection. You can use large PVC pipe, build or buy your own box or use some form of container that will protect your bees and larva. There are several options. Our spring weather is fickle, to say the least. Rain and moisture are our major concerns, but towards the end of spring it can get pretty warm. If you have your boxes facing south they can heat up. I prefer wood because of its natural insulating properties and the ability to wick away moisture better than plastic. I also like my inserts to sit back away from the front of the box. It helps to keep rain off the nesting material, gives my bees a “front porch” to warm up in the morning, and if I put 1 inch chicken wire over the front, it helps keep our rather large bird population at bay. Any questions? Let us know.
We had a wonderful group of people at Vancouver Mall Library for our mason bee talk. I thought perhaps we would get 10 listeners if we were lucky, but they kept coming. At the end we ended up with 35 people. Fantastic group of librarians and helpers got us document copies and chairs and made us feel very welcome!
Saturday we will be at Tsugawa’s Nursery in Woodland, Washington. I can’t be sure, but I think this is our 4th year doing the mason bee talk. It’s always a pleasure. We have an added advantage of showing what bushes and shrubs work well for the spring forage. Next week, it’s on to Stevenson. Let’s hope the snow and ice has left the area.
Notes for today, February 15, 2017
It’s still cold in southwestern Washington, but I’m hoping the snows are done for the year and we are only going to get our usual rain. The earliest of our flowers, snowbells are in full bloom as is the sweet box (Sarcococca) that is so fragrant, so I know spring is on its way.
Our boxes have been repainted and will be ready for spring release of our cocoons. It takes a while for the fumes to dissipate. Even the boxes that don’t need a repainting need to be checked for other critters like spiders that like to winter over. It’s not time to put out our cocoons, but in a couple of weeks we may be close. This is a time to monitor closely what’s in cold storage. Developing bees are close to the end of their fat stores and will be ready to hatch in about 3 weeks. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we will hold off putting them out until we see sustained temperatures in the mid 50s, and of course, the right vegetation in bloom.
Last Saturday we had an excellent class for beginner mason bee ranchers. There were 40 people ready to receive their bees and boxes. This coming Saturday I will be talking at the library in Vancouver Mall, and the Saturday after that I will be at Tsugawa Nursery (check our calendar). It’s encouraging to see more requests coming in for talks on mason bees. It tells me that people are starting to become aware of our native bees…a great natural resource.
Notes for Today, November 30, 2016
It’s rainy, cool, and dark as usual for November. My cocoons (my babies) are all tucked away in the refrigeration unit safe from marauding birds and other critters. Our nesting boxes have been wire brushed out and re-strapped. Unless we find chalkbrood, there is no reason to do a treatment with Clorox and water. The large commercial mason beekeepers are exploring running a torch over the nesting box segments to eliminate all mites. Since these boxes are sent out again, to other locations, it’s a good practice to put into place. We are experimenting with a different method, and I’ll report on the success (or failure) in future posts.
We had a wonderful class at Clark College. It was “all hands on deck” as we worked our way through all the straws and boxes. With the inserts that were used as straws, or homemade straws with not enough wraps to them we found lots of parasitic wasp infestation. These straws had been left out for the summer, so the wasps had found them and laid their eggs. We pull our cocoons about the first of June to keep the wasp invasion to the minimum.
Until next time…
Notes for Today, October 15, 2016
We are halfway through October, and it is proving to be a wild and wooly month. As I write this, the winds are picking up and the rains have been at our door for 3 days…a gift from the remnants of typhoon Songda. After taking a load of bee cocoons north to Seattle, we decided to cut our visit short and come back to Woodland where we could tuck ourselves safely away in our own home. But enough about the weather…on to the bee discussion.
Last Saturday, October 8th we had another bee harvest class and this one was held in Longview for WSU Extension at the training center. We had lots of great help from the Cowlitz County master gardeners, which was a good thing because it was a full class. With over 30 people opening boxes and straws, there was ample opportunity to find evidence of pests and diseases. We did indeed find a lot of blossom mite activity, but the parasitic wasps were few and far between, and we found no indication of chalk brood. There were a few Japanese hornfaced bee cocoons but they are also beneficial mason bees and have been here since 1984. They have “naturalized” and are doing especially well in the Northwest. As long as they don’t overwhelm the native blue orchard bee I’m happy to see them.
Billie Teaching at WSU Master Gardners
Looking at bees
The harvested bees are now clean and in the refrigerator. We have harvested about half our bees, with the next batch getting processed over October and November. We could wait longer, but I want them to reserve their “fat stores”, and the best way to do this is to keep them chilled at around 38 degrees with humidity at or above 60%.
The next harvest class will be at Clark College. If it is anything like this last class, it will be a lot of fun.
Notes for Today, October 1, 2016
It’s that time of year! Time to harvest your cocoons. From now through November is really prime time to process those cocoons and get them safely tucked away into a cool refrigerator, safe from predators, diseases, and changing temperatures.
We had a wonderful harvest class today at Tsugawa’s Nursery. Expecting 14 people, we were pleasantly surprised to see 26 hearty souls brave the rain and come in for the hands on session. We scrambled for chairs! The room was full. One of the questions, I think, warrants repeating here: “Why do we need to harvest cocoons when they do just fine in the wild”? If you are “farming”, you need to be responsible for your livestock. Mason bees have the option to leave if their “homes” get filled with pests and diseases. They are not tied to a hive like honey bees are. If they leave, you’ve lost the bees. If they stay, and their homes aren’t suitable, they can die. It’s similar to cleaning a barn for horses or cattle.
Our weather has really changed over to fall from summer. It was like a switch was flipped and suddenly RAIN…wonderful, beautiful rain! It is definitely time for harvesting cocoons, and a little fishing on the side.
The next harvest class is for WSU Extension in Longview Washington, October 8th at 10am. Sign up, bring your own cocoons or use ours to explore what’s in nesting material besides cocoons.
Notes for today, August 13, 2016
And here we are midway through August. It certainly is different from the last two years…more like a traditional Northwest summer. I understand from the weather forecasters that we are transitioning from El Nino to La Nina. What does that mean for our mason bees? I think it means they will have a better chance of developing and not using up all their stores of food during the summer. Last year, even with a hot, dry summer we still managed to have a 95% hatch rate. If we do the same this year, my guess is they are being handled right and are acclimated totally to the area.
Right now our bees are developing inside their cocoons. They are not “fully cooked”, so if we opened the cocoons at this point, we might find fat larva or white bees. Our nests and straws are safely stored in a shaded open shed. They are inside a storage box with metal screening across the front to keep them as safe as possible. If I refrigerated them at this point, it would slow their development and they would have a harder time hatching in the spring.
Starting in October, we will begin harvesting our cocoons. I try to follow the seasons and I choose October to process and refrigerate because that’s when the temperatures turn colder.
For those of you who are in the SW Washington, NW Oregon area and want a fun class, we are doing harvest classes at WSU Extension in Longview on October 8th and at Clark College in Vancouver on October 22nd, and at Tsugawa Nursery in Woodland (date not set). Watch for notices and more information here, or contact WSU, Clark College or Tsugawa Nursery.
Notes for today, May 9, 2016
We are winding down the season for mason bees. I see less and less activity, so I know I have fewer “girls” working the boxes. It’s dry here, and I am still making mud for them as I water. I see different colors of mud as they pick it up from different areas. I also check the holes at night to see those “little bee butts”. That tells me they are still working the nests.
We are doing a bit of cleanup this week. With all the bees we put out this year, we had about 5% that did not hatch (a very good percentage). Most of them are bees that just didn’t make it, but some may hold parasitic wasps. Although parasitic wasps definitely have value, I don’t want a buildup in the area because we are raising mason bees, and I want fewer wasps and more bees for next year.
It will soon be time to put the nests away into a protected area. I will try to take pictures of how we protect our cocoons. Stay tuned.
Notes for today, April 26, 2016
As the season warms up, we are getting questions about spraying pesticides and herbicides. The beekeeper in me wants to shout DON’T DO IT, but I know that’s unrealistic, so I will tell you what I believe. Be as gentle on this earth as you can. Clover is good for a yard, good for the soil, and good for the bees. Leave it alone. Pull weeds before they go to seed…sometimes easier said than done. If you must spray, read the instructions and follow them to the letter. More is not better. Spray at the right time. Spring is not the time to spray for blackberries, for example. Cut them back or pull them, but wait until fall to use an herbicide. If you can wait a week or two to use (for example) weed and feed, you mason bees will be close to done and won’t be affected. Remember, your mason bees can just leave if they don’t like what’s going on. They are not anchored to a hive. If you have a field of bloom, observe what is there. Chances are you have a lot of pollinators after the nectar and pollen. Don’t spray during the day when they are out. If you can, don’t spray when things are blooming. Just use common sense and realize that what is a weed to us, is food for the pollinators. OK, I’m off my soapbox, and back to normal communication mode.
This has been quite a year for our mason bees. The weather for April has been the warmest on record and I think that has a lot to do with it. We put out the same number of bees this year as we did last year, but so far have over twice as many potential cocoons. We have kept detailed record for the past 3 years on location, weather, and hatch rate. Adjusting locations and increasing or decreasing box sizes have all affected the hatch amounts. Our hatch rate this year has also gone up from a respectable 85-90% to 90-100%. Because of the hot summer last year (and the potential extra food used up in the cocoon) we were expecting a reduced hatch, not an increased one.
I love hearing from all of you, so thank you for contacting us. Comments, stories, and questions are always welcome.
Notes for today, April 15, 2016
Don’t panic! Your bees will slow down during cool, rainy days. They are still out with the sun breaks, but they won’t build a lot of brood. They get to rest up a bit. The sun will be out tomorrow, to quote a song, and your bees with be crazy with activity. The good news is, they will have plenty of mud to play with.
If you have been looking for mason bees, and everyone is out, there is a reason for this. Towards the middle of April suppliers will stop supplying bees because it is towards the end of the season and they have to release what bees they have left. Bees that are held too long will lose their vigor and will have a difficult time hatching. Their food stores will have been depleted.
Notes for Today April 9, 2016
It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone living in this area that we are having weather and temperatures closer to early June and the mason bees are responding. The activity is almost frantic as they fill holes as fast as they can. It’s important to keep mud available during this dry time, so use your hose to add a little moisture to some bare ground. It will keep them from slowing down because they are looking for a mud source.
Another thing to think about while your mason bees are filling their nest boxes is how full are those boxes really? When 2/3 of the holes have been mudded up, the bees are actively working the rest of the nest area. It’s time to put up another box. When there are no more holes to fill because the “empty ones” are being occupied, some of your bees will go elsewhere. Even if the 2nd nest box doesn’t fill, it’s always nice to give them an option.
Check your boxes often. We have noticed an increase in wasp and hornet activity. It was a warmer than normal winter and early spring which tends increase bug population.
Notes for Today, April 2, 2016
Yesterday we had 10 tubes filled, today we have 36. We noticed most of our “girls” frantically going in and out of the nesting area doing what they do best…packing in food and laying eggs. A few females seemed like they were looking for new locations to start nesting. With that in mind, we have put up extra nesting boxes with no bees in them. If they don’t like the spot they are in, we’ve given them some alternatives.
One of the side effects of all this lovely weather is the mud is drying up. Tomorrow I will be creating mud holes.
I have often wondered how these little bees can survive. There are so many other bees and wasps with greater defenses…bigger stingers, more venom, power in numbers. I’ve discovered one of their secrets; they are terrific at “head-butting”. If there are other bugs near their nest it’s “ramming speed” into the intruder. It’s also the way they back off a human who gets a little too close.
Notes for Today, March 30, 2016
A bee on Master Gardener Moe’s finger (Thanks Moe)
A couple of days of warm, dry weather and WOW are things popping! On our south facing box, we have about 80% hatch with hatching still in progress. The “girls” are working the nest areas and starting to lay and mud over, but no filled tubes yet…it’s a little too early. The shadier spots are at about 50% hatch and catching up fast with this warmer weather. We are at about 170 feet in Southwest Washington.
What’s in bloom? Lots! In our yard, and from what I’ve observed in the area, later plum, cherry, Oregon grape, viburnum, skimmia, pear, pearis japonica and lots and lots of maple. Apple blooms are showing color, but not quite there yet. Big leaf maple is their major nectar source in the wild, so it’s a good tree to have nearby. Pearis Japonica bloom will last about 6 weeks…almost the entire time the bees live. If you’re going to plant a bush or two in your yard, or a hedge for your orchard, this is a good one.
I just finished a fun talk at the Longview Garden Club. Thanks ladies for all the great questions and the warm welcome. My next talk will actually be a class on mason bees at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington on April 7th.
Notes for Today, March 9, 2016
The rains are here, and they feel like they will never go away. Temperatures are low 50s, so it’s not a happy time for the mason bees but somehow they are hatching. It’s their time to come out, and they will not be denied. We are hedging out bets though, and putting a cotton ball soaked in sugar water in the hatching area. At least they will have something to nourish them until the rains slow down and we have enough sun breaks so they can get out and gather nectar on their own. The bloom is early this year because of a mild winter. There is plenty for them to dive into once they get going. We have another week of cool rainy weather before I see a change to warmer, drier days. The good news in all of this is that we have plenty of mud! I don’t know what our hatch percentage will be. Last year it was about 85 to 90 percent. Indications for this year are that we have a robust group of bees, so I’m hoping they “weather the storm(s)” and have a happy, although short life.
I’m doing more talks this spring on gardening, mason bees and pollinators. My next one is March 15th at 6pm at the public library in Longview Washington. If you are in the area, come join us for a free talk on starting a garden.
Notes for Today, February 14, 2016
Here comes the spring! You can feel it in the air. But don’t get too excited you know what the weather can do in a few days. Pay attention to what is in bloom in your yard within the 300 foot radius of your mason bee placement. At our house, things are just beginning to bloom and bud out and it’s not enough forage yet for our bees. At our location in Southwest Washington and elevation (170 feet), if the weather is “normal” we anticipate release about the first week in March. For our release, we look at the forecast and try to find a string of warm, sunny days. If we get 5 days in a row of good weather, we set out our cocoons a couple of days ahead of the warm weather. If the weather turns bad, and cocoons have started to hatch, we put a cotton ball soaked in sugar water in the nest area. It’s enough to give them energy for a couple of days.
Location, location, location. Our bees like a warm location protected against rain and wind. East through south facing under the eaves (not too high up….can’t catch the sun) of a building works well. We have also used a large tree. The leaves come out in May for most of our maples, so our bees will be protected from the hottest days in the spring. What they DON’T like is wind and an unstable home. Anything that shakes their home, or is hard to fly into is not what they are looking for. Get your location picked before you place your bees.
One more thought for your forage. If you are thinking about bringing in vegetation to add to your yard, ask the nursery if a systemic has been used on the plant. Anything that is built into a plant to keep bugs from eating it may harm your bees as they gather nectar and pollen. A good nursery will know or will find out for you (ours did). If they don’t know, walk away.
Join me if you can for a 1 hour free talk at Tsugawa Nursery on February 27th at 11:00am. Here’s the link. http://www.tsugawanursery.com/events.htm
Notes for January 14, 2016
Well, here we are in the middle of January and our mason bees are slumbering quietly not yet ready to emerge from their cocoons. Like any parent I worry when they are asleep; are they too cold, are they too hot, ARE THEY ALIVE. Maybe that last part has more to do with the bees than it did with my kids. The truth is, without really “candling” the cocoons (looking into them with a bright light, it’s hard to tell if they are viable bees or not. On the cocoons that have a small hole, or the ones that are slightly sunken and have a “crinkly feel”, there’s a good chance that the bee is no longer there and you might have parasitic wasps instead. If you find a cocoon that you suspect might not have a bee inside, it’s worth taking a look by cutting off the very tip of the cocoon and splitting it open to check things out. The best candidate for this would be a small cocoon. It’s more likely to have boy bee in it if you are wrong.
January is also the month to get your bee boxes ready. All the painting, refurbishing, and building should be done now allowing for solvents and paints to dry and the odor to dissipate before the cocoons are added.
So far our new non-frost free refrigerator is holding the humidity at about 60-80% with a small container of water to help keep the moisture up a bit. Because we have nothing else in the fridge except bottled water and bees, we don’t have any mold buildup. Last year, because we had them in a standard refrigerator and we had items that grew mold, our bees were covered. We had to do a Clorox and water treatment. They did fine after the treatment, but it was a scary sight…all those little green cocoons.
February is coming…I will be posting more frequently as the season progresses. Here’s hoping for a non-crazy weather year!
Notes for October 10, 2015
It’s harvest time for us. Time to see what’s in our boxes and straws and get an idea of what the year was like for our mason bees. It was a tough year, judging from the amount of parasitic wasps, dead bee cocoons, and blossom mites. Unusual heat probably added to the stress and parasites. We had a good crop of bees, but I’m really glad we did a harvest, otherwise all those mites and wasps would be released next spring. Clean, healthy cocoons are what you need to strive for when raising mason bees. Think of it as raising any animal in a restricted environment. If you want to keep the bees around, it pays to pay attention.
After we harvest the cocoons, we use the water method to clean them. Crown Bees has a good document on this and it’s pretty simple. I use a large bowl filled halfway with cool water and a fine kitchen strainer. Put up to 100 cocoons in the strainer, swish in cool water, using the kitchen sprayer to forcefully spray the cocoons at the same time. Do this for about 30 seconds…enough time to remove the dirt and debris. The dirt and debris you can throw out. If you have a lot of it, I’m not sure it’s good for your drain. The cocoons are tough and water resistant and can take a lot of cleaning. Spread them out on a clean paper towel. I place another paper towel over them to keep them from blowing away. They will be dry in a couple hours, or the next day. We didn’t find any disease (chalk brood) on our cocoons, but if we did, we would need to treat the boxes with chlorine and water and carefully dispose of the infected cocoons. Another equally acceptable method for cleaning is to process them in dry or wet sand and then wash the same way. The abrasion of the sand thoroughly cleans the cocoons. We may try this method next year.
At this point, they should be refrigerated. The main issue with refrigeration is that today’s refrigerators are frost free. Cocoons need the humidity to be around 60 percent, so it’s great for us, but bad for the cocoons. To counter this, the solution is to put the cocoon container in the vegetable drawer with a barely moist towel (not touching the cocoons). There are containers you can buy to solve this issue where you find your mason bee supplies. Sometimes they get too moist, or pick up bacteria from sources in the fridge, so check for mold. A little mold won’t hurt, but to remove it, a gentle swishing in chlorine and water for a few seconds then a good rinsing in cool water will bring them back to their former glory. Don’t forget to dry them on a paper towel. Our solution turned out to be simple. We have a small travel trailer, and the refrigerator is non frost free. When we travel, they will have to go to a temporary refrigerator, (sort of like putting your dog in the kennel) but for now they are at 36 degrees and about 60 percent humidity. I feel like we have tucked them in to bed for a long sleep. Sweet dreams little bees…see you next spring.
Notes for July 4th, 2015
We pulled our mason bee straws and inserts a couple of weeks ago being careful to handle them in the proper way. We still had a couple mason bees working their nesting area, so some of the eggs were newly laid and fragile. We didn’t want any to dislodge from their food source. I was surprised that the bees were still working at this late date, but we did have a wet and cool spring, so it probably extended their life a bit since they didn’t do a lot of flying in April. The spreadsheet that we kept helped identify the active and not so active days.
When we pulled the boxes, we notice a lot of parasitic wasp activity. It was a good idea to put them safely in a large container with metal window screening as a barrier. We have mice also, thus the “metal window screening” as opposed to plastic. Our bees are currently tucked away in an open shed out of the direct sun, but in shade. The temperature, while not blazing hot, is warm enough and seems to mimic a wooded area. It should keep the development from egg to larva to bee moving along at a normal pace. Our weather has been hot and dry for the month of June and now we are going into July and August, our normally hot and dry months. I am glad they are safely in their summer “sleeping area” where they can develop and finally form those wonderful cocoons that I so look forward to harvesting in the fall.
Some folks leave their bees out in nature to develop on their own, and for our first couple years we did that also. It was easy and after all, that’s what they did “in the wild”. However, “in the wild” when the holes they are using get too filled with mites and parasites, they leave and find another home. If you want to keep your bees around, a better idea is to manage your bees. Protect them during the summer, harvest during the fall and manage their hibernation during the winter. We will be harvesting our cocoons around the first of October. I’ve heard of some harvest happening the last of August, but for me, that’s too early. October is when temperatures turn cool, so it’s more of a natural time to switch to refrigeration.
Thanks to all the good people who rented and fostered our bees for us. We had a good year!
Notes for today May 15, 2015
We’ve done a lot of experimenting and record keeping this year with our bees. It’s been a mixed bag as far as weather goes, so that’s the good news and the bad news. Last year was (evidently) a phenomenal year for hatching and egg laying. This year has been interesting. We had a warm very early spring and the hatch and bloom happened last of February and first of March. We released a second and third hatch at different times. Everything bloomed early and we are now in a time when the major blooms seem to be done for early spring and the later major blooms (think blackberry in this area) are just starting. I’m not sure what they are getting for nectar, but it’s not as much as was out in the early spring.
We put our boxes out on poles, trees, fences, and buildings. We put them facing south and east, in the shade, in the woods, and out in the open, trying to get a sense of what they like when they hatch and what makes them move “to greener pastures”. We tracked them every day for hatching and for filling tubes, creating a spreadsheet and graphs. Nothing is a sure bet (these ARE wild bees after all), but there are some trends that we are finding (your findings may be different).
They don’t like fences or posts out in the open. THEY HATE WIND, and I think they may feel insecure in open areas. They prefer boxes near or in wooded areas, or on the side of a building. Facing south or east works for getting them warm in the spring, just make sure trees aren’t creating total shade. You can attach a box to a large tree if it doesn’t leaf out until later in the spring. The bees will leave if they don’t have mud nearby. One box (not our installation) was placed in an area that had plenty of sun and ample forage but no mud (blacktop) within 50 feet and they left without even saying “goodbye”. If they fly away, they’ve found a more preferred spot, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t come back sometime during the spring, so keep the box up. Also, keep a spare box and some straws available. They will be looking for homes in all the wrong places and you may be able to put up a box in the space they are investigating. I have one half filled box in my greenhouse from a couple of my “girls” that liked the warm temps. Hatching and nest building happened on a massive scale during warm sunny days. During cooler days, with or without drizzle, they maintained their own food stores, but anything else slowed to a crawl.
We are still getting late hatchings, and I am getting close to opening the cocoons to help them out. It’s long enough in the season that either they are not alive or don’t have the energy to chew out of their cocoons. More experimenting to come! This season may not end until mid June when the activity stops.
Notes for Today, April 26, 2015
We’ve had a couple of days of sun and it did make a difference with the hatch and egg laying. During one of the sunny warm days I opened the top to our flip top boxes and watched 4 bees hatch out at one time. Quite a sight. Now that we are back to cool and drizzly everything has slowed to a crawl again and we are seeing very little activity. Looking on the positive side of this, I know that they are able to get out and forage for their own nourishment, so they are not starving. Actually, if the weather was so bad they couldn’t fly, the females would start absorbing their own eggs, allowing them to live to “fly” another day. It reduces the number of eggs they can lay, but they will still live to lay the remainder of what they have. Another positive note to all this cool drizzle we are getting is it allows for a longer season. Because they aren’t flying as much, there is much less wear and tear on their wings and they tend to last a bit longer. All that positive drivel being said, I am really hoping for warmer, dryer, sunnier weather.
We release in batches at our house, and with the number of bees we have, we can afford to do so. If you have just a few bees, it doesn’t pay to split your hatch. Our earliest release was the 1st of March, and I am starting to see our “boys” die off. Some of them will come back to the nesting area and I see them when I open our flip box. It’s a sad sight (never thought I’d say that), but they’ve done their job and lived their short lives. “Rest in Peace” little bee…at least you didn’t get eaten by that darned blue jay!
Notes for April 14, 2015
It’s been cool and rainy in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington for the last few days. The bees are slowed to a crawl when it comes to hatching and laying their eggs. We’ve been checking on them by looking in the nesting straws and boxes at night with an LED light. Their little backends show up really well…my husband calls this “butts in the holes” (pardon the expression). With the next week showing sunny and warm, we have high hopes for a lot of activity.
So how gentle are these bees, really? Last week my husband and son were working on putting up a side porch. They had to drill through concrete, so it was a lot of noise and activity within a foot of one of the bee boxes. My son’s head was literally a foot from the box entrance. During the 15 minutes he worked in the area, bees flew out and one at a time, “head butted” him to try and push him away but never stung him. We finished the drilling and the bees just kept working on building their nests. GOOD GIRLS!
