Most bee species don’t live together in hives as honeybees do; they are solitary and don’t make or store honey. Try hanging up an affordable bee house to help these critical pollinator populations thrive.
Placing Your Native Bee House
Situate your bee house up high in your yard in a spot that gets morning sunlight. To attract native bees, plant native plants and flowers around where your bee house is hanging. Add a moist patch of soil near the house so the bees can access mud to close off the tubes. It’s also best to practice organic gardening without using pesticides near where bees are. Test Garden Tip: While native bees rarely sting, keeping those with bee allergies in mind is important. Place your bee house away from high-traffic areas to minimize the chance of disturbing the insects to the point where they feel they need to protect themselves.
How to Harvest Bee Cocoons
After the mason bees have laid their eggs, you’ll need to do a small amount of upkeep to make sure unwanted pests stay out of the cocoons. In the fall, remove the cocoons from reeds, bamboo, or reusable wood trays—you can store them in your garage or shed over the winter. Next, clean out the wood trays, discard used nesting tubes, and check for signs of parasitic wasps, pollen mites, or fungal infections like chalkbrood. Although bees sometimes get a bad reputation, not all bees are aggressive. Native species like mason bees have tons of pollinating power to help your vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers thrive, and they mostly keep to themselves. Taking a few steps to help them out will benefit your whole garden’s ecosystem.
