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prairiemoon2

Mason Bee House - - Where to position?

I could go to the Bee Forum, but thought I would ask here first. I just received a belated Christ*mas present, a Mason Bee House. Very excited about it. I thought about raising bees many times, but I just can't make that much of a commitment. I thought this would be almost as good. I'm happy with the product. The tubes are made of bamboo which I think should work out well. I don't want to put it on the house because of vinyl siding. I wonder if I should hang it from a tree branch or attach it to the fence. Any ideas?

Comments (19)

  • hunt4carl
    14 years ago

    Well, thank you for the introduction to Mason Bee H*uses, heretofor unknown
    to me. . .when I first re*ad your post, I had visions of someone cleverly reusing
    a Mason jar as a bee habitat !

    But: a Google search not only told me all about them, but unveiled a posting
    by the National Wildlife Federation explaining how to build Mason bee h*uses
    yourself from scrap lumber - right up my alley. . . In their instructions, the NWF recommends placing the h*uses on the south side (sunny?) of buildings, fence posts or trees.

    Carl

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Hi Carl, lol....I am enjoying the vision of bees in a Mason Jar. Oh fortunate one, to be handy enough to make them yourself! :-) For those who can't make them, mine was purchased at Gar*dener's Supply and the link is below. The tubes are all bam*boo and it was very reasonably priced.

    Thanks for info on where to position, Carl. My south side of the house is shaded by trees, so I am going to have to scout around but at least I know where to look for a place. It should be interesting to see how these work out this season.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Gardener's Supply -- Mason Bee House

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Carl, you might also find this link interesting. I ran across some you tube videos of how they clean them out.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Mason Bee Houses on You Tube

  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    14 years ago

    PM2, you will have to let us know how you fare with this. I have been considering one of those houses for YEARS, and just have never gotten around to it - one reason for my hesitation is wondering where I would put it! So I would love to live vicariously through you and see how yours did.

    Carl, I think you have PLENTY of time to start making them now, and then have enough to hand out at the spring swap.

    ;)
    Dee

  • hunt4carl
    14 years ago

    O.K. You've tipped me over the edge - I am now obsessed with my mason bee
    building project ! The YouTube video that you linked me to shows the easiest
    and simplest design; the fact that it's just 2" wide means that you can easily hang it on ANY vertical 4x4 post in your garden - fence, arbor, birdhouse post, you name it.

    But the other link to Garden Supply: that bamboo design is just SO cool that
    I'm going to have to order one of those as well ! Thanks for all the info.....

    Carl

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Dee, I will try to take photos and notes to post so you can see how it is going, one way or the other. If your experience is anything like mine, I have noticed a decline in the population of bees here and with all the reports of hive deaths, I would love to do something to support bees. In our suburban neighborhood on small lots, I don't see many places that bees could build nests. I just couldn't do Bee Hives at this point, but these Mason Bee Houses seem doable.

    Carl, I didn't see the 2" wide house, that sounds very interesting. I'll have to go back and check that out. Looking forward to photos of your efforts.

    pm2

  • indy76km
    14 years ago

    Did you order some bees to go with it or is there some trick to luring them into the new bee house? I was looking at the houses and the same site also sold bees to go with it but you had to order before march 1st so it is too late to order bees but if they will move in on their own maybe I can still order the house?

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    indy, I didn't see that they sold bees, but I think people are trying to house 'native' mason bees. So they erect the house and hope for occupants. At least that is what I am trying to do. I did do a little more looking and I found this Q/A on the UBC Botanical site linked below in which they discuss the houses and placement of the houses, but no mention of purchasing bees. I'm still looking further. I did see that they suggest getting them up by the end of March. Some people suggest the Southern exposure and some east. It is also recommended to place them under an overhang to keep them dry, which I don't have. This house actually has a metal hoop to hang it from a tree, but I am wondering if motion from the wind will bother them.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Mason Bee Houses - UBC Botanical Garden Forums

  • Persimmons
    9 years ago

    Prairiemoon2: Mom has been considering buying the exact same Mason Bee House. I told her not to be so dazzled by the nice looking wood and interesting shapes. I wasn't sure if Mason Bees even occupied our garden. Let us all know how you fare. Memory serves me that you live near me (Bristol County?) so I'd be interested in how it works out for someone close by.

    An unrelated note: Those xmas cactus clippings you traded me are finally taking off with tremendous growth. It took them a bit to adjust to their new home but I'm happy to report we had zero casualties.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Persimmons, I had forgotten about this thread. That particular bee house, was a complete flop. Not any interest in it at all. The year after that I bought a different wooden house and same thing again. I haven't given up though. I'm planning on adding an even bigger mason house and placing it very carefully, hopefully this year, if I can get it in time.

    The XMas Cactus Clippings are a mystery to me? lol I don't think I did give you those. I can't remember the last time I had a Christmas Cactus. But I'm happy that yours are doing well! :-)

    I would love to hear how anyone else fairs with their mason bee house.

  • Marie Tulin
    9 years ago

    I wonder if it just takes time. Like birds ignoring the birdhouse or feeder for a year (or more) then when the stars are right (by their reckoning) there they are!

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    That's a possibility, Marie. I'll get to see if that works this year. I still have last year's mason bee house in place. I'll see how that goes. Good point.

  • ron01960
    9 years ago

    growing a greener world .com did a segment on these bees

    seems like you could use any heavy brown paper bag, rolled into tubes


  • patsjo2
    8 years ago

    I received a Mason Hive about 2 years ago. As I was putting it up I had 2 mason bees examining it. Next day I checked it and there were 3 nests being built. I have not had any trouble getting bees to come to the hive. The lady that builds them that she has mason bees flying around checking them out as she builds, so I can't see a problem in attracting the bees. I live in Florida, that might make a difference.

  • edlincoln
    8 years ago

    The place where you order bees is neat. Anyone know exactly what species they are and where they are native to? Do they bore holes in houses? I don't want to order something that is invasive in my area or will burrow into the eaves of the house.

  • Persimmons
    8 years ago

    I understand that they naturally do not bore holes, rather occupy holes bored by other animals. A very common habitat is woodpecker holes.

  • Darcey Blinn
    8 years ago

    Leaving aside the house design for a moment . . .


    For positioning a house, there are a few things to pay attention to. Rarely will you have every single thing right, so just give it your best shot. If you have several houses, you may wish to experiment with a few different places and find which ones do best over the years.

    1) Warmth and sunlight. People say to make them east-facing for more sunlight, but they also need sunlight for a good portion of the day, too, to keep them warm. At dawn, it's still might be chilly in early spring and they won't fly yet. Some commercial operations even use supplemental heating to get the bees going earlier, but they have higher mortality if the air itself is too cold to fly.

    2) Height. About knee-level to 12 feet is good. I always place mine right at shoulder level so I can check them out and they do fine.

    3) Protection from wind and bad weather--especially from several days of bad weather, like a rainy cold front in the spring. Much of this can be solved by having a house with an overhang, just like roofs on human houses. If your house design doesn't have shelter like that, try building a box shelter for it that gives it about a 2" roof overhang. The bees like having a little ledge to land on too, but it's not mandatory. Make sure it's positioned so that any rain drains out of it instead of pooling.

    4) Prominent location with a landmark. Bees will find your house better if it is located next to a prominent landmark with high contrast (black and white) or color (especially blue and yellow.) Placing the house on a prominent object that they can see from ~100 feet away also helps them find their way back home, fly to it, and land better than if it's tucked into a tree or narrow space. They need a clear approach. Masons can see blue and yellow and I think green. Paint chips didn't make much of a difference for me, but putting it on a stand-alone shed improved reproduction rates.

    5) Stability. They're landing on it and moving around quite a bit. Stabilize it, just like you would a birdhouse.


    Hope that helps!


  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    Original Author
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Hi Seattlegreen - Thanks for the response. I’d forgotten about this thread. I just received another new ‘Bug House’ for a Christmas gift. This one seems to be designed to attract multiple different beneficials. It looks something like this….

    Nothing I've tried in the past has been successful at all. I think you are right, I need a few to position them in different locations. I did notice last year, that bees had made their own home up between the chimney and the siding near the roof in a South facing location. I can't remember if there was a tree shading that location or not, I'll have to check. And a neighbor had a bees nest, right next door. They had built a nest in his shed, that had a broken door, but he kept his lawn mower in there and got stung and that was the end of that bee's nest. Very sad. Some people are so unaware of the environment and the natural order of things. And our 'suburban' arrangements of lots and homes are so lacking in what is needed for habitat, it seems to me. At any rate, that shed was on the North side of their house and would not have received too much sun, but certainly protection from the weather.

    This bug house is probably knee high from the ground. It arrived with a broken roof, which we are going to have to replace before we put it out. I can put it on top of something to raise it even more.

    I'm also going to try to get it out there early, so it is ready for them.

    I'll keep in mind all your suggestions as I place it this year.