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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Mason Bee Site and Plans

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  • From: derry&bill <wchase@interchange.ubc.ca>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Mason Bee Site and Plans
  • Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:11:27 -0800

Lon,

That is very interesting.

Someone up here started making plastic condominiums a couple of years ago, similar grey molded plastic to the stuff used for picnic tables and decks.

I put one up near my others and I had terrible results. I averaged 1.26 cocoons/6" hole. The wooden pull-aparts average a little less than 6 cocoons/6" hole and the cardboard straws average a little more than 6 cocoons per 6" hole.

In 2007, I had nine condominiums out averaging about 30 holes/straws per condo. The plastic condo had the same number of holes.

I was amazed in the beginning because the front doors were mudded almost instantly. I thought they'd be a huge success, but it seems the female Blue Orchard Bee just went in and came back out and put up a door at the entrance.

The consensus here is that the plastic cells are too humid, but they are very easy to clean!

The cardboard straws seem to be favoured over the square holes in the pull-aparts. Someone put a (medical) mini-camera in a cardboard straw and found that the Blue Orchard Bee is continually turning around in the straw, not somersaulting, but turning around. We surmise that it is easier to turn around in a cylinder than in a square hole.

The Blue Orchard bee does seem to spend quite a bit of time mudding the corners of the square wooden holes, perhaps to make them round. This reduces her efficiency.

I agree that the Monodontomerus wasp can and will puncture a hole in the cardboard straws.

Derry Walsh
South Coastal B.C.
<http://derrysorchardandnursery.ca>


Lon J. Rombough wrote:
I have used pieces of plastic 4 x 4 "lumber" made of recycled plastic. It is sold for decks. With 5/16 inch holes drilled in it, the bees like it a lot. They can clean the holes easily because of the smoothness of the plastic.




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