Monthly Archives: February 2012
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| Cleaning station in the kitchen. |
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| These are hexagon shaped nestign tunnels made of clear plastic. There is no doubt that mason bees use it, but cleaning nests and harvesting cocoons is not possible with this nest type. In most locations if nests are not kept clean, parasites and mites build up in such numbers that the bee population collapses in 3-4 years. |
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| This structure holds the clear plastic hexagons, paper tubes and reeds. Paper tubes can be opened and cocoons can be harvested. Reeds can also be opened with relative ease. Take care when choosing reed type because some types of bamboo are near to impossible to open. |
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| This is the Beediverse Highrise with tubes on the side. The Highrise Quicklock nesting trays can be opened and cleaned. After cleaning these nesting trays can be re-assembled for the following spring. |
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| A great spot for mason bee homes-a warm south facing wall under an overhang. |
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| Success! Cleaned and harvested cocoons |
Roeland also sent me some photos of his new nest design (with permission).
| Here are John’s photos of his very economical set up for mason bees. It protects bees from chilling spring winds, and provides extra warmth to mason bee nests. The full length tarp that goes to the ground keeps the wind out. To keep all the wind out from entering the base of the structure, cover bottom of tarp with mulch or some soil.
Advantages over the Beediverse Yurt is that with John’s field shelter you don’t have to deal with fitting a tarp over a hexagon roof with a hole it it. It is not easy. The field shelter’s roof is simply a piece of plywood. John’s mason bee field shelter is very economical.
Here is John’s list of Materials and instructions:
1-9×12 tarp – blue
6 – lath strips or equivalent
1-42x72x1/2 or better plywood for back side
1-42x48x3/8 plywood, primed one side for roof
4-2×2 or 2×3 x96 posts- for vertical support
4 or 6 ell brackets for shelf support
Drive posts into earth at 42 inch intervals, attach back plate on north side, then roof with overhang. Provide bracing with lath at 45 degree angle for wind. Keep front posts 6 inches higher than back to run rain.
Wrap with tarp leaving 6 inch opening at the front[south]. Use 1 1/2 in. screws at grommet holes for ease of attachment and removal. Attach ell brackets for shelf support as required.
Now your bees will much warmer and so much busier.
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| John starts off with setting 4 sturdy posts into the ground. Then secures a 1/4 ” sheet of slightly slanting plywood onto the 4 posts. Between 2 posts, he attaches – with screws a 1/2 sheet of plywood. He attaches shelving to the plywood and the two posts. Nests are set onto shelves. |
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| Here is a closer look at the shelving. On the right hand side are routered wooden nests. On the left are boxes with angled 1″ wide slats with Quicklock trays inside the box. |
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| Blue shelter complete. Once nests are in place with bees are set out in emerging boxes, tarp is wrapped around all 4 sides- leaving a gap of at least 8″ between roof (1/4 sheet of plywood) and the top of the tarp. Note wood slats are stapled over tarp and onto posts to keep them place. |
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| This is the second version with a cross piece that helps stabilize the structure. |
Let others know how you feel!!
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| Mason bee se-up while pollinating cherries. Mason bee nests are made of routered channels cut out of compost board. Boards are held together with a tie-strap. |
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| Osmia rufa doing the finishing touches to her nest. |
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| Osmia rufa male. Note the long antennae. |
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| Females resting over night inside their nesting tunnels. |
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| Embrace (Osmia rufa) |
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Fierce competition
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I also chatted with John from Delta. He has been doing mason bees for quite a few years now and he is a true experimenter. Every year he comes up with ideas that he tries out. On my visit this time, he told me that for the first time last year he was able to beat the wind. He has a very cold wind coming off the sea in the early spring. He had seen the various yurt design and found them too complex. I saw his design, and I think it is a good one. It is simple and anyone can set it up. Last year it worked well. It works similarly like a yurt, but you do not have a hole in the hexagonal roof. More on this subject when John sends me his pictures and a story.
Aan update- we could not figure out what to call this structure at first. A Mason Bee Field Shelter describes it nicely.
If any one has story to share, send me pictures and a story about bees and pollination- Thanks. I think a lot of people will enjoy reading it. On average, 70 pages are read on this blog every day. Quite amazing.
