Season-by-Season Instructions

The life cycle of most solitary bees fits into a regular pattern. Females make nests using leaves, soil, or mud, and provision them with honey and pollen. They lay single eggs in divided cells. The eggs hatch and the larvae eat, grow, and pupate inside the same cell. The adults remain in the nest until spring or summer. The males usually emerge before the females, which are mated immediately after emergence from the nest. The cycle then repeats itself.

Nesting straws capped with mud ...just as early plants start to bloom, hang your Native Bee house in a warm, sunny location (facing southeast or east) where the bees will get the early morning sun to help them get moving, but are protected from wind and rain. Higher than 4 ft is best to keep critters away, and against a solid wall is better than on a tree or fence post, since any movement can dislodge the eggs from their food supply. Once the trees and shrubs begin to bloom, you'll hopefully attract some wild Orchard Mason Bees to your Bee House (and if not, purchase some local bees online). Be sure your bees have a source of mud nearby for their wall-building!

...the males will hatch out of their cocoons a few days before the females. (If you listen you can actually hear them crunching their way out!) Once the females emerge and mate, they'll immediately begin nesting. You’ll see them flying in and out of the holes, gathering a small pile of nectar and pollen, laying an egg on top of it, then collecting mud to safely wall it off from predators. The female will only live from 4 – 8 weeks, laying between one and two eggs each day. After 6 - 8 weeks the females will die and the eggs will grow into mature bees over the summer.

Once you see the nesting activity cease (usually in early June) it's very important to cover the holes to protect the eggs from predators like ants, wasps, birds and squirrels. Strange as it sounds, I've found that the best and easiest way to accomplish this is to cut the legs off a pair of control top pantyhose, and gently slide it from the bottom up till it covers the holes.  Other options would be wrapping the house with mosquito-proof screening or a piece of sheer curtain fabric, then taping it top and bottom to prevent insects from crawling under it.  Whichever method you choose, be very careful to avoid moving or jarring the Bee House during this period, since the eggs or larvae will not survive if they are knocked off their food supplies.

...the larvae consume the stored nectar and pollen, spin cocoons, pupate and develop into adult Mason Bees. By September they are full grown but will remain in their cocoons until it’s time to emerge the following spring. The females have done all the work, so all you need to do now is admire your beautiful garden flowers and healthy crops!

...the time to move your bees to a cool location so they can hibernate over the winter. Yes, you may just leave them in the bee house over the winter, but I don't suggest it. Not only will the harsh weather age your Bee House more quickly, the bees might start hatching during those odd warm spells we occasionally experience during the winter and early spring. Without blooming plants for food, and with the eventual onset of seasonably cold temperatures, the males will die very quickly - dooming your entire year of native beekeeping.

So I recommend storing your cocoon-filled inner straws in an unheated shed, detached garage or, my personal favorite, your refrigerator crisper drawer — just as long as the temperature stays between about 38F – 41F. Before you remove the inner straw liners it’s important to mark the end of each one with a pencil or marker so you'll know which side the bees will emerge from in the spring. They can only move forward, so you don't want them facing the wrong way! Now you need to slide the cocoon-filled inner straw liners out of the cardboard tubes. I've found that the easiest and safest way to accomplish this is to purchase a 5/16" or 3/8" piece of wooden dowel from your local hardware store (costs about $1), or if you bought a Better Bee House you'll find one inside. Starting at the front ends you just marked, use the dowel to gently push the inner liners out the back of the cardboard tubes. (If they don't slide out easily, just leave them in the cardboard tube.) Store the cardboard tubes in the Bee House to be re-used next year, and place the cocoon-filled straws in a clean, empty container for protection as they hibernate. If you're storing the straws in your fridge, a paper lunch bag will do just fine; if you're storing them in an unheated building, place them in a coffee can with breathing holes in the lid, or something that mice and rats can't chew through. That's it! You're all done till next spring when the fun begins anew.

...when daily temperatures are regularly getting above 50F, grab a handful of new, clean paper straw liners and place one inside each cardboard tube, then slide them back into each Bee House nesting hole. (This is very important since it provides clean nesting areas that result in healthy, parasite-free colonies.) Hang your Bee House back up and retrieve your bees from their winter storage spot.

Milk Carton NurseryLocate a clean half gallon paper milk carton and carefully tear open the top seal so you have easy acccess to the inside. Using a couple strips of Velcro (or twine, rubber bands, duct tape) securely attach the milk carton to the bottom of your Bee House so that the bottom of the carton is flush with the back of the Bee House. this will place the pouring spout, which is where the bees will exit, just below the clean nesting holes. Now simply slide the bee-filled liners all the way to the back of the carton, making sure that all the marked ends are facing toward the sun. If you have loose cocoons, just scatter them near the back of the container. Close it back up using a paper clip or clothes pin to keep them safe until you're ready to take a peek. Within a few days your bees will start chewing their way out of the cocoons (listen for the crunching sounds), mate and begin laying eggs in the clean nesting holes you've provided for them. They usually hatch mid-morning and, depending upon the weather, it may take up to two weeks for all of them to emerge.

After a couple of weeks all the bees should have hatched from the milk carton, but before you toss those dirty straws in the garbage, gently unwind them to be sure that some bees aren't trapped inside. You'll be amazed at how many 'bee lives' you'll save by doing this, and they're almost always the females who are trapped at the very back of the straw.

Now - congratulate yourself for helping to increase the population of our talented native pollinators!