Workshops are a fun activity for beginners and others who want to share their experiences.
- Explaining the lifecycle of the mason bee using the Beediverse viewing home.
- Set up a bee home facing East, in the sun and under an overhang. Bleach and bowls for harvesting are ready to go in the foreground.
- A closer look at the Beediverse viewing home
- Viewing homes are a great learning tool
- Opening up a bee home with nesting trays.
- A look at all the nesting trays with cocoons and various debris and pests.
- There is lots to see
- Mason Bee cocoons lined up in their nesting tunnels.
- Top- leafcutter bee cocoons. mid- unknown with wax plugs. Lower- summer bee with masticated leaf material.
- Wooden trays out of a kit.
- Large cocoons are the females. The smaller ones are the males.
- This is a tiny summer bee that uses masticated leafmaterial as a plug.
- Removing cocoons with a harvesting scoop into cold water.
- After harvesting cocoons, they are soaked for about 30 minutes, then scoured in a metal sieve under runner water and a final rinse in bleach water. Then dried onto a paper towel and stored until spring. Happy harvesting.