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Bees & Beekeeping

mason bees

11 years ago

This is the first time for me on this forum (usually on the vermiculture or compost forum) but I'd like to ask for some advice here. Last year I made a nesting box for mason bees (about 30 tunnels) and seem to have 100% occupancy rate as all holes have been sealed with mud. I fully intended to take out the tubes with all the eggs/larvae but never got around to it. So now it's almost spring here in SW B.C. Canada and all the tunnels are still sealed up. Wondering what to do at this point......leave things as they are, extract the tubes now or what?? Need some ideas!
Harry

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Comments (2)

jean001a
11 years ago
Leave them be. (They're outdoors, right? If not, put the tubes/nests in a sheltered site.) The bees will emerge when the temperatures are appropriate.
gardencat999
11 years ago
Where you are it gets cold enough that you can just leave the tubes outside year-round. The only reason I know of that you should mess with the tubes is if you live somewhere it doesn't get cold (e.g. Southern US), because the lack of a cold winter messes with the larva somehow. Anyway, you're fine :)
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