Making a mason bee house

[andalusn]

It has been so wet here lately

I know, that's nothig new ... What concerned me was the fact that the bee activity was almost non existent. We had blowing winds, heavy rainfall etc. I am not home during the day (M - F) and the apple trees were budding more. Yesterday was dry and the sun came out and so did the bees. The activity around the barn was pretty intense. Maybe they just hold up during the rain and manage to get back to work during the dry hours.

Did more research regarding native potential in other states and definately the Western states share a common thread with the Orchard/Mason bee. I also read about people making houses for them in PA etc..

 

[andalusn]

Yesterday was mostly dry with just a few sprinkles. I was checking the mason bee houses and when it got warmer in the late afternoon they were busy working the holes on the front of the barn and I had what I thought were two working the new PVC houses. This morning when I looked at 8am I saw 3 tubes with a bee sitting just inside the opening. When we went out this afternoon those 3 tubes were completly mudded over to the very end. What looked empty yesterday was full by this afternoon. Now I am watching to see if those 3 bees begin work on more tubes. I know yesterday I watched one bee go in and out of 3 tubes close together and thinking she was having a hard time deciding where she wanted to go... maybe she is actually working more than one tube .. I'll keep you posted. I did take a picture of the full tubes but need to download and get it posted.

 

[Lesa]

Are you making an effort to supply mud- or are you just letting them find it on their own?

 

[andalusn]

Quote:
It would appear that I have all things necessary ..

Provide a house with tubes/holes (man made & barn wood)
Have blooming fruit trees and so does my neighbor
Have plants that they like for necter to make bee bread
Horses have water trough that helps make mud, there is also a faucet at the end of the barn front that drips

The mud that appears to have been used to mud over the end of the tube sure looks like the arena dirt that had a nice muddy area after a good hard rain recently. The dirt in the arena is a mixture of sand and clay. The lady that gave the talk said she tried to be helpful and dig holes by her spring and it looked like they never used it. They are such builders they manage to dig what they need at the water source. I would think a dripping faucet would work too. Mine is not a gusher and the water in the horse area is mostly from rain and water that drips over the side when they drink or I fill it and let it run a bit. I do not have a creek, spring etc... all water is either from natural rain fall that did not dry up yet or some other source.

A recent article I read stated that they are native to all western states but I know they are in eastern states as well.

 

[Lesa]

I have my house up- we will see, what happens. Not sure about the mud. I'll have to see if my hose drips a little!

 

[andalusn]

Quote:
Have you seen the Mason Bees buzzing around any particular area? I noticed my bees last spring and then this year I added the new houses and a vial of cacoons. I know some of those hatched and most of the mudded over holes in the barn wood are now cleaned out and I see the bees going in/out when it's sunny out. They like a east facing house since that warms up first in the day but south facing, which my barn front is seems to work well too.

 

[andalusn]

The activity around the new pvc houses in continuing. While the new tubes are not as busy as the holes that are established in the barn wood I did see bees going in/out and another tube is mudded over for a current total of 4 tubes filled. I do notice a differnece in the activity when the sun is out and beating down on the area where they are working.