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Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6576467
07/18/19 07:00 PM
07/18/19 07:00 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,511
Kanabec Cty, MN
D
Drakej Offline
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Drakej  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,511
Kanabec Cty, MN
Sorry, been away. I am having my best luck with 7-9" lengths of hollow stemmed Phragmites grass(that about as long as anything I have found between growth nodes, stem must be unobstructed front to back) as close to 5/16" diameter hollow. I collect those that I can't see thru and split them carefully and remove cocoons in late Sept. Then clean those that look alive and store dry, ventilated boxes that will fit into used women nylons for insect protection than in 1/4" hardware cloth box for rodent protection and winter in my unheated garage till spring warmup than I put them in my fur freezer(not usually full that time of year) till a couple of weeks before first orchard blooms start move them to refrig till good weather and bloom starts. Transfer them to individual hatching boxes(small wood ones with 3/8 hole for them to exit) which I place in or near each box. My "house" designs vary greatly as I am still experimenting.

If you don't have MB's in your area(but you might be surprised if you put out a house as they are easy to not notice) you can put out "trap" houses were you think they might be and relocate them easily(just takes a season to do it). Areas of lots of natural spring blooming plants will most often have them. They are native.


I've learned enough thru the years to now know that I don't know enough. KNOWLEDGE IS FREEDOM.
Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6576502
07/18/19 07:37 PM
07/18/19 07:37 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,511
Kanabec Cty, MN
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Drakej Offline
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Drakej  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2007
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Kanabec Cty, MN
Some of the best info I have found on mason bees is from the website of Hutchings Bee Services.


I've learned enough thru the years to now know that I don't know enough. KNOWLEDGE IS FREEDOM.
Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6576587
07/18/19 09:54 PM
07/18/19 09:54 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,113
Manitoba
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Northof50 Offline
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Northof50  Offline
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Posts: 8,113
Manitoba
My backyard is full of Blue Scillia flowers and they bloom before anything else up north here. Nanking cherry is 10 days later and Apples are 16 days after Scillia

Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6576634
07/18/19 10:40 PM
07/18/19 10:40 PM
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,007
WI - Wisconsin
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AJE Offline
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AJE  Offline
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Posts: 10,007
WI - Wisconsin
Drake- Thanks for the info. Just so I understand...these 'trap' houses you mention (like in my prior photo) are actually more detremental than they are good?

Last edited by AJE; 07/18/19 10:40 PM.
Re: pollinaters are working [Re: AJE] #6576859
07/19/19 09:58 AM
07/19/19 09:58 AM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,113
Manitoba
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Northof50 Offline
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Northof50  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,113
Manitoba
Originally Posted by AJE
Drake- Thanks for the info. Just so I understand...these 'trap' houses you mention (like in my prior photo) are actually more detremental than they are good?


They have got you interested . Now you can go to the next level.
Your lucky it was only 10 bucks, normally the garden centers charge 25 skins...........there is something about women and spending money when shopping, Expensive " it has to be good"

Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6576883
07/19/19 10:39 AM
07/19/19 10:39 AM
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 14,796
Greene County,Virginia
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run Offline
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run  Offline
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Greene County,Virginia
This year has been amazing for clover in my neck of the woods.


wanna be goat farmer.
Re: pollinaters are working [Re: run] #6577092
07/19/19 04:08 PM
07/19/19 04:08 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
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bblwi Offline
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Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
Two of the beekeepers near me lost all their bees with our last tough winder, plus we had a flood in January with the rain on the snow and ice and one had 2 hives washed away. Their new bees are really making honey right now with all the blooming that is going on. Came a bit later this year so I hope the bees get set up for winter.

Bryce

Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6577156
07/19/19 05:59 PM
07/19/19 05:59 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,511
Kanabec Cty, MN
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Drakej Offline
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Drakej  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,511
Kanabec Cty, MN
As I understand the research mason bees fill the outer 4" of hole with male only chambers(as they are more expendable to predation) so unless holes are deeper you have provided shelter for a one sex generation. Females live the longest and do almost all the pollinating. A single male can fertilize several females so Most want to raise as many females as possible. The challenge is a house that provides approximate 5/16" holes 6-14" deep that can be kept disease free, give access to remove cocooned larvae if wanted, weather and predator protected with dense enough material around hollow to deter parasites, cheap and easy to make for DIYer's. Lots of designs being tried out there, commercial and DIY. I like the Hutchings wood tray design(and made a couple) but they aren't being used yet by far as well as the natural reed ones, also have some paper straw ones. As I only have 8 houses out in different locations my testing is not that scientific(with a house of each style in all 8 places). It could be the location of houses that is better reason for usage. All my houses near or on large structures(buildings, south side) are the highest used so far. Have one house that has never been used and one just a couple of tubes. Now that I have built up are pretty good population MB's I am going to move around a few houses next year to experiment.. Sadly I have a limited source of the 7-9" sections of reed grass at 5/16" dia that has been working the best. Not enough to use them in all 8 houses. P.S. Cutting the dry reeds works best using a Dremel tool and cutoff wheel as it doesn't "crush" them, even a razor blade doesn't work as well for me. One thing I am doing to help keep parasitic wasps from going into gaps between tubes(they are very small) and attacking thru reed walls is filling that gap with cheap $1. caulk within the outer one inch of reeds(like mason cement between blocks. In a house with wood bottom, side, back and removable over size top that is screwed on. This lets me lay in rows or reeds fill gap at front, lay next row, fill, all the way till full than seal on top. The Hutchings design also provides this important protection I just have to see if I can get them to use them at my orchard.


I've learned enough thru the years to now know that I don't know enough. KNOWLEDGE IS FREEDOM.
Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6577170
07/19/19 06:33 PM
07/19/19 06:33 PM
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,145
Minnesota
Born Offline
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Minnesota
My apple tree this year looked wonderful , just covered with blossoms. I have one apple on it today.

I noticed very few bees working it. I have been considering getting some bees, but after reading this thread I think I will just do more to promote more mason bees.

Thanks for the info Drake.

[Linked Image]


Help yourself.



Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6577578
07/20/19 09:36 AM
07/20/19 09:36 AM
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 14,796
Greene County,Virginia
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run Offline
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Posts: 14,796
Greene County,Virginia
Ttt.


wanna be goat farmer.
Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6579356
07/22/19 10:47 PM
07/22/19 10:47 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,113
Manitoba
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Northof50 Offline
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Northof50  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,113
Manitoba
here are some of my nanking cherries
[Linked Image]

one of the most important things about Solitary Bees is to have where they are tunneling their burrows not to dig them in the fall and destroy their tunnels.

I love my bees and I love the Cherry jelly now

Last edited by Northof50; 07/22/19 10:50 PM.
Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6579357
07/22/19 10:48 PM
07/22/19 10:48 PM
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,007
WI - Wisconsin
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AJE Offline
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AJE  Offline
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WI - Wisconsin
Bountiful harvest.

Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6579362
07/22/19 10:54 PM
07/22/19 10:54 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,113
Manitoba
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Northof50 Offline
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Posts: 8,113
Manitoba
10 gallons if I picked them all on two shrubs.
Don't worry about the apple tree production it does usually follow a two year cycle.

Overnight temps of 40f do sterilize the male flowers in apples when they come out.

Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6587433
08/03/19 10:40 PM
08/03/19 10:40 PM
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,007
WI - Wisconsin
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AJE Offline
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WI - Wisconsin
Are butterflies good pollinators too?

Re: pollinaters are working [Re: run] #6587606
08/04/19 09:14 AM
08/04/19 09:14 AM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 2,042
SE Kansas
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SE Kansas
Originally Posted by run
I was cutting rafter tails of 20 year old poultry houses and they have bumblebees bored into them.


I'll bet those were wood bees, they look kinda like bumble bees but don't sting. Any old barn or shed around here will have them.

Re: pollinaters are working [Re: AJE] #6587639
08/04/19 10:38 AM
08/04/19 10:38 AM
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 6,501
Wi.
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Diggerman Offline
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Wi.
Originally Posted by AJE
Anyone have pictures of their bee houses?

Apparently air hoses, airguns, and any small tubes around the shop seem work for the bees around here.

Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6587758
08/04/19 01:54 PM
08/04/19 01:54 PM
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,311
Firth, Nebraska
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Firth, Nebraska
Cant drive 10 feet down the highway here without creaming a butterfly on windshield or grill. Seems like an unusually high population here this summer.
Jim


Money cannot buy you happiness, but it can buy you a trapping license and that's pretty close.
Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6588174
08/04/19 11:19 PM
08/04/19 11:19 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,511
Kanabec Cty, MN
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Drakej Offline
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Kanabec Cty, MN
Butterflies, moths, flies and many many species of solitary bees all have their place, species of flowers and time of year in the complex web of pollination. And things like neonicotinoides inseticides really throw a wrench into it. Overspraying herbicides also eliminates the "trash" flowering weeds That keep our pollinators alive the rest of the year we don't think we need them.


I've learned enough thru the years to now know that I don't know enough. KNOWLEDGE IS FREEDOM.
Re: pollinaters are working [Re: taser] #6588843
08/05/19 10:35 PM
08/05/19 10:35 PM
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,007
WI - Wisconsin
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AJE Offline
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Do you use butterfly houses?

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