North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jim Fruth" <jfruth@tds.net>]

   When I first got interested in Mason Bees and had ordered some cardboard 
straws for them, I thought to try plastic tubing.  Since I make maple syrup 
and gather sap with (vinyl) plastic tubing, I decided to try that tubing 
since it is 5/16" diameter inside.  I stuffed as many as would fit into 
Campbell's soup cans and fixed them tightly near the cardboard straws.  From 
my subsequent observation, the bees used the vinyl tubing as often and the 
cardboard straws.  When I retired some, I cut them apart to determine depth 
usage finding penetration was about equal in both cardboard and vinyl.

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
For jams, jellies & syrups:
www.bberryfarm.com
(877)265-6856 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]