Current Issue
March 20, 2021
Happy Spring Equinox!
Now let’s talk about when to put out your mason bee cocoons
Your bee house, block and tubes with liners can be outside now. There may be some early natives scouting. Following are excerpts from a comprehensive guide to when it’s best to put out your cocoons.
How do I decide when to put out cocoons?
Yes, you will decide. We don’t know what your yard looks like or what you have planted. You may live in a higher elevation. Use the two criteria below to decide when to put out cocoons.
Weather in the Willamette Valley still has the potential to have a cold spell and heavy rain. For a better outcome waiting until Mid-March is a good way to go. Look at your yard and use weather indicators to decide when you will put out your cocoons.
Criteria #1 – What is blooming in your yard?
If you have very few flowers blooming yet, you need to look for near-by big leaf maples and willows to see if they are generating pollen. This pollen is especially important until enough flowers are blooming to support the bees. You will have to decide if there are enough plants and trees blooming to provide the bees with pollen and nectar. The mason bees need a continuous source of food. Plan ahead and add more native plants, too. Because many hybrids do not produce nectar or pollen, they have no food value for bees.
Archives
- October 19, 2020
Invasive insects update - October 10, 2020
Cocoon Harvesting Season is Here - September 17, 2020
The effects of wildfires and smoke on bees - June 7, 2020
Just a Reminder… - May 31, 2020
It’s Time… - June 12, 2020
Bee Notes – Got questions? - May 3, 2020
Bee Notes Special Edition - March 31, 2020
Stay Home & BEE Healthy = Slower emergence - March 26, 2020
Bee Supplies and Cocoons - March 17, 2020
Time To Put Out Cocoons - February 25, 2020
Milkweed Planting Tips - All Bee Note Archives
Criteria # 2 – Watch the weather
In mid to late March, look at the long-term forecast to see that there is no
heavy rain forecast. Then you can start thinking about putting out cocoons.
We should have at least three days in a row of 50 – 55 degree weather to be
warm enough for the bees to emerge and survive. Yes, it has been that warm recently, but heavier rain is still very likely. Waiting just gives the bees a better chance.
Once you have blooming trees/plants and warmer weather without heavy
rain forecast, you can put your cocoons in your emergence container. A good container is a 5-inch length of PVC pipe that is 1-inch in diameter, with caps on each end and 5/16” drilled in one of the caps. Don’t stack the cocoons more than 2-3 layers high if you are using another type of container for the cocoons. If you have lots of cocoons, it is better to use more emergence tubes and also to put out more houses. Try to not have more than 50 or so nesting holes in each house. You will have less pest issues if you keep the number of holes in the 50-ish range or lower.