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| Small and large release box with piano hinged lids |
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| Small release box with simple lid. Plastic containers are good for interim storage, but predation dictates a more sturdy wooden box. |
Hazelnut is in bloom, bulbs are poking out of the ground…..spring must be near! (Vancouver BC)
When setting out cocoons in large numbers, safety from predation has to be a key consideration.
Rodents can chew through plastic and paper. Dave M.from Port Alberni, BC uses a box with a piano-hinged lid to hold cocoons.
When spring arrives, mason bees emerge from the box ready to start pollinating.
The small box easily holds 2-300 cocoons. The larger box holds about 1000 cocoons.
It is best not to layer cocoons more than 1-2 deep. More than 1-2 layers of cocoons make it more likely that newly emerged bees pick up the rare mite from cocoons as the bee exits from the box.