That site suggests drilling only 3 to 5 inches deep.

You're likely to better results if you drill at least 6 inches, better yet is 8 inches.

Further, drilled wood locks should be replaced (i.e. discarded) the 2nd year. If re-used for longer, damaging Krombine mites take over and damage/kill your masons.

Going to make a mason bee house and wondering:

Should it be left natural wood, or does a certain color paint have any effect in either detering or attracting the masons.

Just posted a question about using soda straws when building a Mason bee house here http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4505985/building-a-mason-bee-house

Well that sounds easy. Get some wood, drill some holes and put it up? That's it? Are mason bees all over the US?

Just did it this spring (photos of the bee houses)

Specifically for mason bees, does anybody have experience with wall-like constructions, i.e. holes in clay or bricks instead of wood?

To report back, so far it´s a success, everything occupied by now to the last drilling hole. What seemed to help was placing a pot with moist clay soil next to the "houses".

I bought a Mason Bee house off Amazon but as of this writing I see nothing going on there. I tried dabbing some LemonGrass Oil on it but nothing so far this season in CT.

Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks for posting this. It made me look into them and I like the idea of creating a home for them.

Get your new mason bee houses ready for 2018. Post pictures!

Ok, made a bee house last year from a length of oak limb. Drilled all the way through and hand-rolled brown paper tubes inserted. A few holes seem to have been used. According to what I've been reading, now's the time to renew the tubes and clean everything up for next spring. Question .... how does one get the tubes out?!!! Seems when mama bee laid the eggs and sealed up the chambers, the tubes also got glued to the walls. Anybody have a way to solve this issue that doesn't involve jamming a rod in the hole thereby squashing anything that may be left in the tube?

Think I'm going to build a different style bee nest. The one that's layered and drilled on the separations so everything can be taken apart and cleaned.

The common "bee house" here is a bunch of river cane chunks, stuffed into a frame and placed in the orchards or gardens.

http://pollinator.info/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/cane-tubes-9422w.jpg

You can dump the old cane and put new cane in for cheap or free.

Did it come with all the tubes? How much was it?

Is it this one? https://www.costco.com/Bambeco-Swiss-Alps-Bee-House.product.100407978.html

Yes, it came with the tubes and is the same as the one being sold online. I can't find my receipt but I believe it was slightly less in the warehouse, closer to $15

Mine was just over $13 at Costco. It's not out yet as I'm going to use mine for leaf-cutter bees. Mason's are going in a different house. I wish the Costco one was better secured at the bottom. Not sure how long it will last.