Red mason bees
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
Has anyone had any joy with the nests you can buy to attract red mason bees to the garden. They're supposed to be great pollinators. I put a nest up near our espalier applies about six weeks ago. So far, not a sausage.
Hi Ken,
Although I have yet to try what you are attempting I feel that you may have to wait for a considerable time for anything to happen. Things in the Bee world are only just hotting up you have got to wait until some break away from the crowd, so to speak, before you will get any joy.
I am most interested in your project so please keep us informed.
Although I have yet to try what you are attempting I feel that you may have to wait for a considerable time for anything to happen. Things in the Bee world are only just hotting up you have got to wait until some break away from the crowd, so to speak, before you will get any joy.
I am most interested in your project so please keep us informed.
JB.
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Garlic_Guy
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ken wrote:Has anyone had any joy with the nests you can buy to attract red mason bees to the garden.
Hi Ken, yes I have had these nests up in my garden for the last 3 years. Each year, I have had more and more bees (completely full for the last 2 years). The ones below are sat above a window on the roof of my greenhouse. The spiders then weave webs next to them to try & catch the weaker ones!
At the risk of disagreeing with Johnboy, I've seen bees around as early as March or April. This year has been later, but then it's been pretty cold/windy where I am.
On 4th May, we had temperatures in the 20's and I watched 5 Mason bees doing manouevers up and down a stone wall (looking for extra accomodation I guess!).
You may find your first year is pretty quiet. However once one or two have nested I think you'll see an increase in numbers. Remember to put the nests with full tubes (see ones with "mud" at the end above) somewhere out of the weather over winter, then bring out again in Spring.
Thanks, both. Yes, the instructions leaflet suggested that red mason bees tend to get up and going earlier in the year than other species. Guess I'll just have to be patient. I'd thought that if the nest did OK this year, I'd add one or two more next year. The nesting tubes come in a plastic container, and at the moment the only signs of life are other types of insect basking on the warm plastic...
Hi Colin,
This subject is something I know very little about but I was basing my assumption that Bee activity has been somewhat sluggish so far this year. We now have plenty of activity but I was thinking that they would only move on when looking for a new site to breed.
When Ken put them out 6 weeks ago activity was zilch in this area bar the odd Bumble Bee.
As I say I want to learn more obout Mason Bees and there was a posting about them on the old forum but it died out after really the initial postings. I do hope this is going to keep going.
Thank you for the super Photo as they always help.
Do those Bees enter you greenhouse?
Do you think they would enter a polytunnel?
The one drawback to growing Runner Beans in a polytunnel is the reluctance of normal Honey Bees to enter and aid fertilization.
This subject is something I know very little about but I was basing my assumption that Bee activity has been somewhat sluggish so far this year. We now have plenty of activity but I was thinking that they would only move on when looking for a new site to breed.
When Ken put them out 6 weeks ago activity was zilch in this area bar the odd Bumble Bee.
As I say I want to learn more obout Mason Bees and there was a posting about them on the old forum but it died out after really the initial postings. I do hope this is going to keep going.
Thank you for the super Photo as they always help.
Do those Bees enter you greenhouse?
Do you think they would enter a polytunnel?
The one drawback to growing Runner Beans in a polytunnel is the reluctance of normal Honey Bees to enter and aid fertilization.
JB.
JB - I know this is going to sound daft, but I'm going to say it anyway.......
I use the gravelled area around my tunnels to harden off flowers and to keep large pots of flowers as stock for cuttings or just because I don't know where else to put them. I also have some heat loving things in the tunnels and flowers planted as companions in the hope of warding off white fly. I don't know if these provide the attraction for the bees, or if it's just luck, but there's always bees in the tunnels from late March onwards.
I use the gravelled area around my tunnels to harden off flowers and to keep large pots of flowers as stock for cuttings or just because I don't know where else to put them. I also have some heat loving things in the tunnels and flowers planted as companions in the hope of warding off white fly. I don't know if these provide the attraction for the bees, or if it's just luck, but there's always bees in the tunnels from late March onwards.
Hi Tigger,
Not daft at all it sounds a really good idea. I now no longer grow flowers but have these tunnels that are now redundant. They are all shelved out for plant production and quite honestly I simple have not got the heart to rip it all out but I have taken some out from one tunnel giving me a 30ft x 30 growing area but I tried Runners last year and the yield was miserable so I have not bothered this year.
I have French Climbers which will give me a picking in about a fortnight but there is nothing to equal a Runner. Perhaps I shall have another crack next year.
Not daft at all it sounds a really good idea. I now no longer grow flowers but have these tunnels that are now redundant. They are all shelved out for plant production and quite honestly I simple have not got the heart to rip it all out but I have taken some out from one tunnel giving me a 30ft x 30 growing area but I tried Runners last year and the yield was miserable so I have not bothered this year.
I have French Climbers which will give me a picking in about a fortnight but there is nothing to equal a Runner. Perhaps I shall have another crack next year.
JB.
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oldherbaceous
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Johnboy, how about doing a wild flower meadow in your polytunnel, now i'm sure that would be a first.
If you want anymore useless information don't be afraid to ask.
Kind regards Old Herbaceous.
Theres no fools like them old fools.
If you want anymore useless information don't be afraid to ask.
Kind regards Old Herbaceous.
Theres no fools like them old fools.
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Garlic_Guy
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Johnboy wrote:Do those Bees enter you greenhouse?
Do you think they would enter a polytunnel?
Yes, the Masons regularly go into the greenhouse (which is why I put the nests right by the window).
I've not got any experience with Polytunnels, so don't know what ventilation arrangements you have. If you can put some nests near any vents, I think there's a good chance to encouraging them in. As others have mentioned, if you have one or two bee-attractive plants inside (eg. borage) that might seal it.
Hi Colin,
Polytunnels are a bit of a deathtrap to Bees and until I installed an improved ventilation system I spent a lot of time with a toddlers fishing net recuing Bumble Bees who fly in and are unable to find their way out. Now that the tunnels are protected against White Fly nothing can get in which is good news for the Bees.
However one in tunnel there are doors full height at both ends and have tried Runner Beans but they do not seem to attract sufficient Bees to fertilise them and although there is a crop it is exceedingly meagre. If I could attract Mason Bees however it may be an entirely different proposition.
I have had a long conversation with our local'Bee Expert' who assures me that it is very easy to attract them and I am constructing five nests to be situated around ny 5 acre home plot. The expert I refer to is a retired University Lecturer who used to lecture on Bees and many other insects. In his retirement he has around 60 hives of Honey Bees around the district. He also has two Mason Bee nests on his home plot.
He explained why they are such good pollinators and showed me Mason Bees returning to the nest and they are absoutely covered in pollen as their method of collection is entirely different to the Honey Bee.
Expert as he is he does not know fully how they convert that pollen to feed the grubs inside their clay cocoon. The other thing that he says is that the hatching process is a last in first out affair and, as yet, nobody fully understands how they manage this. They are certainly fascinating little chaps and will be keeping a very close eye on the nests that I put out.
Polytunnels are a bit of a deathtrap to Bees and until I installed an improved ventilation system I spent a lot of time with a toddlers fishing net recuing Bumble Bees who fly in and are unable to find their way out. Now that the tunnels are protected against White Fly nothing can get in which is good news for the Bees.
However one in tunnel there are doors full height at both ends and have tried Runner Beans but they do not seem to attract sufficient Bees to fertilise them and although there is a crop it is exceedingly meagre. If I could attract Mason Bees however it may be an entirely different proposition.
I have had a long conversation with our local'Bee Expert' who assures me that it is very easy to attract them and I am constructing five nests to be situated around ny 5 acre home plot. The expert I refer to is a retired University Lecturer who used to lecture on Bees and many other insects. In his retirement he has around 60 hives of Honey Bees around the district. He also has two Mason Bee nests on his home plot.
He explained why they are such good pollinators and showed me Mason Bees returning to the nest and they are absoutely covered in pollen as their method of collection is entirely different to the Honey Bee.
Expert as he is he does not know fully how they convert that pollen to feed the grubs inside their clay cocoon. The other thing that he says is that the hatching process is a last in first out affair and, as yet, nobody fully understands how they manage this. They are certainly fascinating little chaps and will be keeping a very close eye on the nests that I put out.
JB.
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Garlic_Guy
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Thanks for this Johnboy.
It sounds like an excellent idea - a friend keeps honey bees and has been trying to sell me a hive. I toyed with the idea of asking our Allotment association if they'd have it on site, as everyone ought to benefit.
However they are not as forward thinking as you. My other tack was to suggest putting a hive along the wall where the allotment borders the local pub with its children's play area. This was to help try to deter the little darlings climbing over the wall, hurting themselves and ruining the crops in their crash landing pad beneath......no, maybe not.
I think it's a great idea of yours to have the hives on site (either honey or Mason bees). I'm really worried about past reports of these species being in danger of getting wiped out. Apart from the wildlife aspect, us humnas are (often unknowingly) very relient on these creatures in providing a very large proportion of our food, though pollination.
Finally story for you and Ken - I caught a bee trying out one of the holes inside my greenhouse (where one wooden strut is screwed to another). He crawled in, crawled out, then backed in and gave it a good checkout.
This was followed by a loud buzzing and he flew out, sharpish. Only to be followed by another bee!
It sounds like an excellent idea - a friend keeps honey bees and has been trying to sell me a hive. I toyed with the idea of asking our Allotment association if they'd have it on site, as everyone ought to benefit.
However they are not as forward thinking as you. My other tack was to suggest putting a hive along the wall where the allotment borders the local pub with its children's play area. This was to help try to deter the little darlings climbing over the wall, hurting themselves and ruining the crops in their crash landing pad beneath......no, maybe not.
I think it's a great idea of yours to have the hives on site (either honey or Mason bees). I'm really worried about past reports of these species being in danger of getting wiped out. Apart from the wildlife aspect, us humnas are (often unknowingly) very relient on these creatures in providing a very large proportion of our food, though pollination.
Finally story for you and Ken - I caught a bee trying out one of the holes inside my greenhouse (where one wooden strut is screwed to another). He crawled in, crawled out, then backed in and gave it a good checkout.
This was followed by a loud buzzing and he flew out, sharpish. Only to be followed by another bee!
Hi Colin,
I put out my five nest boxes today, just after 6.00am, and the one in the orchard is already attracting attention.
I had a brief walk at half time of the Cup Final and was mulling things over and happened to glance at the box there and there were three Bees exploring it.
They went into the Bamboo and emerged a couple of seconds later. It then started to rain so rather than get wet I headed for cover. I have quite a large Orchard and they are full standard trees and all are exceedingly old and are at present smothered in blossom. I am out tomorrow at Malvern but I will check them all on Monday and report.
I put out my five nest boxes today, just after 6.00am, and the one in the orchard is already attracting attention.
I had a brief walk at half time of the Cup Final and was mulling things over and happened to glance at the box there and there were three Bees exploring it.
They went into the Bamboo and emerged a couple of seconds later. It then started to rain so rather than get wet I headed for cover. I have quite a large Orchard and they are full standard trees and all are exceedingly old and are at present smothered in blossom. I am out tomorrow at Malvern but I will check them all on Monday and report.
JB.
I'm having difficulty attracting Osmia Rufa to my nests. I've had it up since November last year and not had even a sniff... well except for a blue bottle yesterday and a wasp a month ago. I've followed all instructions as described by Cristopher O'Toole on how to place the hive. Could it be where I live - on a steep hill? I live on a farm too so I had the impression there would be plenty of these bees flying around. There are many Bumble Bees on our apple blossoms, and I believe our cherry trees have just stopped flowering. So very confused why they might not be coming? Any help would be hugely appreciated!