Mason Bee Nests - 104 Tube Shelters, Case / 6

With the volatile and declining honeybee population due to Colony Collapse Disorder, fruit growers are being challenged to find alternative pollinators. Native Mason Bees have been present in North America for millions of years; each is capable of performing the pollination duties of 100 honeybees. While they cannot product honey, the problems afflicting honeybees (introduced by Europeans over 400 years ago) don’t appear to affect mason bees. We call these American natives ‘Masons’ because they utilize mud to build and seal their nests. Based on extensive research from the USDA, our kits provide safe habitat and the ideal size holes for the females to lay their eggs. Because each female can lay 6-7 eggs per nesting tube, a gardener can easily magnify the local population of native masons in just a few years time.

Mason bees are marvelous early season pollinators of fruit trees, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, as they are more active in the cooler temperatures of spring than the naturalized honeybees. Moreover, their hairy little bodies are able to carry more of the pollen needed for fertilization of blossoms. Masons are small, cute and docile bees that rarely sting. Every edible garden should have a few starter homes to help support our native bee species.

Position the nests in a sheltered, dry, sunny spot, facing East, South or somewhere in between. The location should be 6-8 feet off the ground, protected from rain and as level as possible. You can easily attach the mason bee houses to any wooden structure (up under the eaves is ideal) utilizing a roll of plastic hangar tape - normally used to support drainpipes in basements and crawl spaces (see picture for and MORE INFO TAB for additional details).

BULKING PRICE (SET OF 6) - ONLY $22.50 EA

Price: $135.00

BROWN

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