Mason Bee Facts By Mason Bees For Sale Online USA

There are 3 essential items for prime Mason Bee habitat, 1. nesting place, 2. pollen, and 3. a mud source. They will only remain in an area if they have a proper habitat.

Best nesting place for Mason Bees are in reed tubes; To read more on nesting materials click here.
Early blooming pollen: willow, cherry, chokecherry, currants, raspberries, waterleaf, blackberries, hawthorn, and penstemon species work excellent.
No clay = no bees. Mason Bees use clay mud to section off the cells of each tube and seal the end of each tube after laying their eggs. It is a special sticky clay, regular dirt, sand or bloomy soil won’t work. To get clay for your bees click here.

Climates with really high humidity along the coasts tend to have problems with Mason Bees flying away. If you live in this area leaf cutter bees tend to be a better option.

When honey bees are pollinating you can see huge swarms of bees around the tree. It only takes 10 Mason Bees to pollinate an entire tree so its harder to spot the pollination. Some signs that show your bees are working include: new tubes being filled with clay, activity around the bee house, spotting bees on the blossoms, or flying around (though they are harder to spot), and the bigger and better tasting fruits at the end of the season.

If you feel there is a problem with your bees check out our troubleshooting page here.

Mason Bees need to be kept cold to properly mature. Once you receive your bees keep them in a cold place such as the fridge, garage or cold storage. Store them below 40*F so they stay in hibernation from fall to spring. WARNING: If cocoons’ temperature exceeds 44*F for extended period of time they will not hibernate properly which may result in premature emergence and/or death.

Keep bees in cold hibernation until the temperature outside consistently exceeds 55*F and your blossoms begin to develop. Then it is time to place your bees in their bee house for releasing.

Osmia species require winter temperatures for successful emergence the following spring. In September take down the house (or cover) and place in a cold place until next spring. This will help keep parasites/predators away. If house is taken down early it can dislodge the larva from their food, be sure to store the house face up to keep the bees with their food source at all times. This is also the best time to replace used reeds and purchase new bees. Learn how to clean out bee house here.