How to Properly Equip a Bricklayer’s Bee House
Mason bees are pretty damn cool: they are docile, easy to grow, and wonderful pollinators of spring flowering fruits and walnut trees. These bees do not use hives like honey bees, preferring instead to place their eggs in narrow holes clogged with dirt (hence the name “bricklayer”).
Their gentle nature and preference for a secluded habitat make bricklayers a great species to keep in your backyard. That is, if you do everything right. If you don’t do it right, you may be hurting them more than helping them.
Former evolutionary biology professor Colin Purrington took to Twitter a few days ago to tell us how our good intentions went awry.
If you’re looking to build your own bee house, Purrington offers his own guide here as well as many additional materials you can take advantage of. If you’re leaning towards store-bought variety, don’t just grab onto the first pretty mason bee design you see. It is important to learn about this species first so that you can understand how to most effectively help them – and instead not accidentally harm them.
Clean your house every fall
The biggest problem that Purrington points out with some store-bought bee houses is blocks and reeds sticking to the back of the house. This means that you cannot add new nest material every spring, which greatly increases the risk of parasites and fungi.
Here you will find useful information on year-round care for mason bees , including storing nest tubes and blocks and collecting cocoons.
Location, location, location
The bricklayer’s bee huts should be placed on a level surface protected from strong winds, about six feet off the ground and, if possible, facing south. Do not hang stone houses from a rope tied to a tree branch; letting the eggs topple over every gust of wind is useless.
They also need to be close enough to pollen-producing plants (they will not travel more than 300 feet) and have a good supply of clay mud to cover their nesting burrows.
Make them a little overhang
A good bricklayer’s roof will have a small overhang to protect the pits from rain and reduce the risk of larvae and pupae rotting inside the nest.
If you’re in doubt about the quality of your bricklayer’s bee house right now, you can always ask Purrington directly for his opinion (hey, he suggested):