Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: ksnow on May 09, 2018, 06:23:31 am
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I decided to help out the local, native bee population and use up some old lumber I had laying about. These are mason bee houses, pretty simple to build. They'll be hung around our gardens, a friend's gardens and my dad's apple orchard. I still need to clean up the holes a bit, to remove the splinters.
Kyle
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/975/27123551767_58efe90ae7_k.jpg)
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Way to go!
I gotta google these to learn more.
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Neat project! Do they work like hives to make honey retrievable?
Hawkdancer
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Mason bees do not produce honey at all. With the overall decline of all pollinator species, I just want to help in any way I can. Mason bees are a solitary bee, each bee will live in its own little hole, then pack it with mud before fall. Next spring the larva will hatch and leave as bees. The boxes will be taken down over the winter to protect them from wet weather and predators.
Kyle
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Mine are just about full. I have three like this drilled 5" deep. The screen is to keep the Flickers out during the winter.
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Nice to see some of them out there working. I've read about the screens, I may have to dig around and see if I have something that will work. We have flickers here all summer.
Kyle
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I say it's Flickers but I've never caught them at it. With the deep holes they can't get them all. I think they lay the eggs so that one sex(male I think) comes out first. If that's the case then I was losing more of one sex than the other.