Mason Bees are gentler, require no hive, no honey extraction, and no special licensing. A single Mason Bee pollinates as many flowers in a day as dozens of honey bees, making them one of the most efficient pollinators you can welcome into your garden. They live and work independently, which means less work for you and more food in your garden.

Face it southeast, 3 to 6 feet off the ground, with morning sun and some overhead protection from wind and rain. Clay-like mud within 10 feet makes a significant difference. Avoid full afternoon sun and open exposure.

Loose cocoons are a core part of the BeeSafe™ Standard. When cocoons are harvested and cleaned before shipping, we can inspect them for pests and parasites and remove anything harmful before it reaches your garden. Filled reeds and nesting materials that ship with bees still inside can carry mites, fungal spores, and parasitic wasps from one region to another, spreading problems that are very difficult to undo.

The same principle applies at home. If you want to share cocoons with a neighbor, friend, or family member, make sure they're harvested and cleaned first. Handing over an uncleaned bee house, even with the best intentions, can spread the very pests you have been working to avoid.

When you order bee cocoons, you will choose your ship date at checkout. Loose cocoons ship on Mondays between February and April to make sure your bees arrive healthy and on time without sitting in a warehouse over a weekend. Hard goods like bee houses, nesting materials, and accessories ship as soon as your order is placed.

Once your Mason Bees stop flying, usually by July, move your nesting materials to a protected spot and store them in a BeeGuard Bag to shield developing cocoons from pests. Come October or November, harvest the cocoons from the tubes, clean them, and store them in the refrigerator until spring. Harvesting is the single most important thing you can do to keep your bees healthy year over year. It removes mites and disease before they can spread and gives next year's generation a clean start.

If you end up with more cocoons than you need, share cleaned ones with neighbors or participate in our Bee Buy Back program where we purchase your extras for cash or store credit. We also walk you through the whole process so you can host an annual Harvest Party.