Easy basics:
- Place the cocoons out when daytime temperatures are roughly 55 F/13C. Night temperatures don't matter.
- Avoid exposing cocoons to direct sunlight as that may kill your bees.
- Protect the cocoons from wind, rain, or birds. Consider placing cocoons in a cocoon hatchery and installing a bird guard with holes about 3/4" apart so that bees can fly through.
If your yard isn't ready for your bees to emerge, you can hold them in a refrigerator. Place the cocoons in a HumidiBee humidifier if longer than a week to ensure your bees don't dehydrate.
If a bee emerges while in your HumidiBee, add a small cloth/sponge with 50/50 white table sugar and water inside. The bees can sustain themselves for weeks on this mixture.
Once outside, depending on the weather it can take up to three weeks for bees to emerge, but they are a lot of fun to watch once they do!
