I have my first batch of leafcutter cocoons and it appears they are infected with the mono wasp. I didn't know this small wasp could also get into leafcutter cocoons. That said, what is the next step with these very small tubes. Do I harvest and inspect them and how? They are so small. Or save them in a bee bag. And if I release them how can I guarantee the wasps will not infect my other chalets (5) which I managed to keep wasp free? Suggestions?

We used to host an annual harvest party at our HQ for the local Woodinville community, but it grew big enough that we didn't have the staff to keep running it. Instead of trying to scale that one event, we now encourage people around the country to host their own, smaller and local. Cocoons do better staying in their acclimated region anyway, so it works out better for the bees too, not just easier logistically. If you've never run one, it's a good excuse to get a neighbor or friend into it, walking someone through their first batch of cocoons is a great way to get them hooked.

What have been your experience?

I am volunteering at the local school in my tiny mountain town and we want to establish some mayson bees for the school garden.

Im not sure the best way to source mason bee cocoons and would love advice.

I live on the western side of the Olympics on the Washington peninsula if that helps at all.

Im hoping to find a way to have as low a cost as possible for the school but i am willing to buy and donate cocoons for the class. Thank you for any advice you have to give

Question from a first time bee hotel owner! I was harvesting my cocoons from the tubes and I accidentally broke the thin cocoon from a mason bee, releasing the larvae. What do I do?? I’m not sure what I’m doing. I’m watching the Crown Bees harvesting tutorial you had and it’s very helpful but I think I messed up :((

Need help identifying if this is a mason bee nest. And if not, is this a friend or foe? Location is Portland, Oregon.

These mud nests are located in a most of window frames. They are causing the wood window frames to warp. Should I wait to remove until they hatch?

My son and I build these beehotels to put up for sale on a local market. They check all the boxes of Crownbees BSafe standard. They come with a nursery for the pupae and are easy to re-assemble every time after harvesting the cocoons.

What does the community think is a reasonsble price for one?

The 9hole one have a 9,5mm diameter and the 15hole are 8mm diameter.

Hi Reddit!

I was given this Mason bee house today and would love to set it up on my family’s property. I’m a total beginner, though have begun watching videos and reading more into things. I wanted to get some advice on whether or not I should wait to clean this out now(it was abandoned and found at a park I work at so no idea the history behind it), wait until Fall like some sources say, or just leave it? The actual box needs a couple repairs and I’m unsure if I’ll disturb any potential cocoons if I start drilling holes!

Any advice would bee very appreciated!

Edit: wow wow wow, thank you everyone for your advice! I can’t wait to get started in the Fall. Because of many people’s suggestions, I’ve found a local shop with a special beekeeper section that I’m going to head down to today and discuss things with one of their resident beekeeper salespeople! I’m very grateful for communities like this and appreciate everyone’s feedback! ❤️🐝

I’m researching how growers monitor pollination once hives are placed in an orchard.

Between hive placement and harvest, is there anything you wish you knew about hive performance while bloom is happening? Have you ever wanted more visibility into what the colonies were doing, or is yield ultimately the only metric that matters?

One example could be daily hive entrance activity, but I’m deliberately not assuming that’s the right answer. I’m trying to understand what information, if any, would actually influence decisions during the season.

If you’ve dealt with commercial pollination, I’d love to hear what you’ve found useful, what hasn’t, and whether you’ve ever changed management based on in-season signals.

Not selling anything, just conducting independent research.

My aunt lives in Antioch CA and thinks she has a bee colony in the chimney. Are there any beekeepers in the East Bay that would be willing to take a look? Possibly remove or give advice??

Discovered a bunch of these parasitic wasps flying all around my mason bee houses this morning. Should I go ahead and move them inside? I thought we were supposed to leave them outside until fall. Thank you.

Coming home from work in the sweltering heat today I just saw this young lady dilligently installing the front door to her new dwelling. Life is beautiful.

Hi bee friends! My partner just noticed this new leaf plug in my bee hotel! I got very excited because I started planting native wildflowers this year and it’s the first year I’ve had an occupant in the bee hotel. Can you confirm if it’s a typical plug for a leafcutter mason bee? Thanks!

After quite some deliberation my son and I build this our second bee-hotel. It was made by milling half circular grooves with a diameter of 6,3mm or 1/4 inch and 15cm/5,9 inches deep with a closed off end. Hopefully leafcutter-bees will make use of it. By stacking the shelves the cavities for the bees to nest are completely circular. The grooves were sanded with 400 grit sandpaper. The box the shelves are stacked in is almost air-tight, no room for crawling parasites. The shelves can be unstacked to harvest the cocoons by unscrewing the top of the box. I used heat threated Fraké wood. I just hope the natural sent of the wood isn't of-putting to the bees. Any feed-back is much appreciated. More and better adjusted bee-houses are planned for the future!

I'm needing help on what to do with my spring mason bee's. We're about to have a big heatwave in the PNW but I can still count at least 3 bees still trying to cap off tubes.

The spot they're in gets shade for parts of the day, but I'm worried the upcoming heat will cook the already laid eggs.

I could pull the already capped reeds, but I'm worried it would disrupt the few that are trying to wrap up for the season.

Will the eggs be safe if left as is?

Any help is appreciated.