North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

When I drilled the plastic lumber, the plastic was actually porous inside.  I could see lots of holes in the walls.  I think that had to do with the thickness of the "lumber" (4x4) because there were fewer holes when I drilled the 2x4's and they were only near the core of the board.  I suspect the thicker material cools differently, leaving more holes and pores inside, while the thinner stuff remains more solid.  I've become lax with them now because I find the bees everywhere.  They put nests in any hole they find now, in posts, tree limbs, etc.  I haven't tended the "housing" because of it - there are more than enough bees around.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003. 
For even more grape lessons, go to  http://www.grapeschool.com
For all other things grape,   http://www.vitisearch.com

On Nov 25, 2007, at 9:11 PM, derry&bill wrote:

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>