Accessories / Tools

Keeping mason bees is fun especially if you have the right tools.

Here are some tools that make keeping mason bees successful.

• one fridge thermometer
• one harvesting and cleaning scoop
• one petri dish for storing mason bee cocoons “bee cocoons are not included”
• one emergence shelter for storing and setting out mason bee cocoons
• one net bag

Yurt roof (this product) Complete yurt – Partially constructed yurt

Hexagon roof for a Yurt Field Shelter.

This field structure is perfect for regions with cool wet springs and in addition,if there are no out-buildings such as barns or sheds for attaching mason bee homes.

The Yurt Field Shelter is a boon to mason bees because it increases ambient temperatures inside the shelter which allows mason bees to start their day earlier each day, fly longer each day, visit more flowers and produce more offspring. We have tested it for four years and it is a great success.

The YURT is beautifully designed and makes the perfect Field Shelter. Its sturdy engineering allows it to hold enough nests for 2000 cocoons (3 rows x 9 Highrises x 72 nesting tunnel per Highrise). Under good weather conditions, mason bees can produce 2-3 times and up to 6 times this number in one year. Two tools are required to assemble this yurt. a screwdriver is needed to attach uprights to top and base hexagon, and a stapler is needed to attach tarp to the wooden frame.

Included in this product is the ROOF with instructions for making the complete Yurt shelter.

PARTS INCLUDED IN THIS PACKAGE:

Plans for making the complete yurt

6 pieces 1×4’s 21” long cut at right angles, and two holes drilled at each end

Roof tarp sewn to fit roof

12 widgets to fit between wood frame and metal hoops

1 center piece for roof

6 metal hoops

Not included:

screws

zap straps

PARTS NEEDED FOR COMPLETE YURT (INCLUDED IN ROOF PACKAGE)

6 1×4’s 21” long cut at right angles, and two holes drilled at each end (INCLUDED)

12 widgets (INCLUDED)

1 centre piece (INCLUDED)

6 hoops (INCLUDED)

1 tarp for roof (INCLUDED)

6 1×4’s 23 ½” long cut at 30 degrees, and two holes drilled at each end (FOR BASE HEXAGON)

36 ties (zap straps)

1 tarp for walls

64 screws

54 L hooks for hanging highrises to up rights

16 1×2’s made from 1×4’s six feet long, with 2 screw holes at each end

1 Tarp to wrap around uprights

1 Stapler to staple tarp roof and tarp all around to wood structure

1 Post to stabilize yurt

1 Shovel to dig post into ground

Additional lath for hanging up highrise homes

Rope to tie yurt to post.

A sturdy Shelter suitable for holding nesting trays and/or nesting tubes.
It is well made, varnished and constructed to last. It has a hanger on the back for easy attachment to a wall.
Nesting trays are not included.

Pest and rodent resistant shelter for over-wintering your mason bee cocoons.

Place loose cocoons, or cocoons that are still in tubes directly into the shelter.

• two Shelters with fitted doors

These well-constructed SHELTERS are made from pine and varnished to withstand the elements. Hang onto a wall with a screw as provided or place on a shelf close to the nest. Each shelter will hold 100 or more mason bee cocoons.

Special Limited Edition

This special limited edition scoop is the perfect compliment to the Beediverse tray system. It quickly, gently and efficiently removes your cocoons from the nesting grooves. Each handle is unique and is made from locally grown trees. This is a custom made and a Green version of our regular scoops. It is only available through this website. There are 30 special limited editions of the scoop.

• Carefully cured, hand selected handle stock.
• Triple coated finish for beauty and log wear.
• Spring steel shaft is extremely tough and wear resistant.
• Each tool is hand ground into the shape of a beescoop.

Specifically designed for safely harvesting mason bee cocoons

A scoop ensures safe removal of cocoons from Beediverse nesting trays

Includes:

• One Bee Scoop

Designed and sized to gently and easily lift cocoons out of nesting trays. Safe handling of cocoons means you’ll have viable cocoons and more mason bees pollinating your garden the following spring.

At the same time as harvesting cocoons the scoop scrapes out dirt and debris from nesting trays. This makes it much easier to clean the nests once the cocoons are removed.

The Bee Scoop is the must-have accessory for all Beediverse nesting trays.

Safely Store mason bee cocoons through the winter months

The perfect solution to safely storing cocoons inside the fridge or outdoors location.

• 3 Petri dishes, 6” diameter

After removing mason bee cocoons from nesting tunnels, and cleaning and drying them, store cocoons in these handy containers.

• can also be used to hold ‘duds’- cocoons suspected NOT to contain a bee, but parasitic wasps or other organisms.
• are easily stacked and take a minimal amount of room.
• are specifically designed to safely hold life organisms.
• allow air and moisture to flow into the dishes without allowing debris, dust and foreign organisms to enter the dish.
• Each petridish will hold about 200 cocoons, one layer thick.

Dimensions: 6 inches in diameter and half inch high. Petri dishes are made out of clear Plastic for easy viewing and cleaning.

Easy Check Thermometers (two).

This easy-to-read thermometer can be used anywhere your cocoons are stored.

• 2 Fridge thermometers

This thermometer makes it easy to check on the temperature in a fridge or in outside locations.

• When overwintering cocoons inside a fridge, hang one from the upper shelf and the other on a lower shelf for easy viewing. Because temperatures can be different in the upper and lower section of the fridge, it is handy to have two thermometers to make sure temperatures are within the correct temperature range. During winter months keep temperature above freezing – between 35-42F or 2-6C. After January keep temperature below 36F or 4C and above freezing (34F or 4C)
• Set thermometers where you have mason bee homes located.
• When using a yurt structure, it is great to see temperature differences between the inside and outside of the yurt.

Before use, check new thermometer temperature readings against the temperature readings of a known thermometer.
Dimensions: 3 x 3.5 x 1.5 inches or 9 x 8 x 4 cm.

These finely woven mesh bags protect Mason Bee cocoons from parasitic wasps and other insects while cocoons are in storage from summer to winter. Includes:

• 3 No-Wasp Net Bags (60 cm X 60 cm , 24″ x 24″ ) Material: Nylon Mesh

No-Wasp Net Bags are generously sized with an extra-wide, draw-string opening. The bags have room for stacked nesting trays and Mason Bee Houses with the cocoons inside. Place trays and houses in the bag, draw it closed, and the cocoons are safe from pests. Staying pest-free means viable cocoons come spring.

No-Wasp Bags are an important part of keeping a healthy Mason Bee population from year to year. Bags are washable and fold flat for storage. A great buy with 3 to a pack.

Design Principles Protection from pests is two-fold.
(1) Parasitic wasps and other pests will be attracted to the nest but will not be able to enter the bag and nest.
(2) Parasitic wasps that are previously in the nest will develop and come out to find additional bee cocoons, but first wasps have to leave their nesting chamber and mate. While they are trapped inside the netting, mist-spray them with a mild soapy solution. This will kill these wasps that are flying around inside the net bag.

Fits Highrise & Highrise for Summer Mason Bees
Choose from Forest Green, Golden Yellow, Royal Blue and Sunset Red

This bright, durable accessory protects your mason bees from woodpeckers, mice and parasitic wasps. The Predator Guard pops onto the front of our Beediverse HighRise House, and is easily removable when it’s time to observe or clean the nest.

Fits Royal Mason Bee House & Royal Summer Mason Bee House
This bright, durable accessory protects your mason bees from woodpeckers, mice and parasitic wasps. The Predator Guard pops into the front of our Royal Mason Bee House, and Royal Summer Mason Bee House. It is easily removable when it’s time to observe or clean the nest.

Fits the Lodge and Chalet homes.
This bright, durable accessory protects your mason bees from woodpeckers, mice and parasitic wasps. The Predator Guard pops into the front of the Lodge and Chalet Home.
It is easily removable when it’s time to observe or clean the nest.

Choose from Forest Green, Golden Yellow, Royal Blue and Sunset Red.