Mason Bee Buy Back Program
Return & Rehome Mason Bee Cocoons
A Record-Breaking 2025 Harvest Season!
We’ve been buzzing as thousands of Mason bee cocoons and filled reeds have arrived through this year’s program. It’s inspiring to see how many bee raisers had successful seasons. Your efforts will help both new and seasoned bee raisers next spring.
The Mason Bee Buy Back Program allows successful bee raisers to return surplus Mason bee cocoons or filled nesting materials at the end of the season. In return, participants receive either a Crown Bees gift certificate or a cash payment. Every cocoon that comes through the program is carefully inspected, cleaned, and regionally stored so it can be redistributed next spring to support healthy pollination in gardens, farms, and orchards. It’s a simple way to share the success of a great season while helping Mason bees thrive beyond your own backyard.
How the Bee Buy Back Works
- Complete the form: When the program goes live on October 1st, fill out the form below and select your payment choice. Print the confirmation sent to your email. Include that printed form in your shipment.
- Harvested cocoons preferred ratio: If you harvested (reimbursed at a higher rate), please send both small (male) and large (female) cocoons. The preferred ratio is 8 females:12 males.
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Pack and mail: Ship loose Mason bee cocoons or unharvested, filled tubes or reeds, padded with paper. Standard USPS is fine; expedited shipping is not necessary. Shipping costs are at your expense.
Mailing more than 1,500 cocoons? Large quantities can build up heat during transit. Place ~1 cup of cocoons into a sandwich bag, leave air in the bag, seal, and use multiple bags. Add spacers or air-filled bags between them in the box. - We receive and verify: We open (and harvest if applicable), wash, and inspect each cocoon for pests and disease, then count viable cocoons. You’ll receive email updates when we: (a) receive your shipment, (b) verify condition and viable quantity (and pests found), and (c) confirm your redemption type and final value.
Ship to:
Crown Bees
17721 132nd Ave NE
Woodinville, WA 98072
Submission size: Minimum 100 cocoons. Maximum 10,000 cocoons per household.
Important Program Notes
- We cannot split payments between a half gift certificate and a half check. Please choose one payment type. If you choose a check, processing begins in December.
- Maximum standard submission: 10,000 Mason bee cocoons per household. Want to send more? Email info@crownbees.com.
- We reserve the right to reject any submission based on cocoon viability. Please do not send paper tubes with side holes, materials from previous seasons, or wood trays (we cannot return trays).
- Submission window: The Bee Buy Back form appears below when the program goes live on October 1st each year.
Bee Buy Back Rates
Harvested
| Payment Type | Rate per Cocoon |
|---|---|
| Gift Certificate | $0.15 |
| Check | $0.08 |
Checks are processed beginning in December.
Unharvested
| Payment Type | Rate per Cocoon |
|---|---|
| Gift Certificate | $0.08 |
| Check | Not available |
Checks are available only for harvested materials.
Why Your Bees Matter
We store all Mason bee cocoons in temperature-controlled coolers and separate them by geographic region. Region-matched bees are more likely to thrive with local bloom timing and climate patterns. By sorting and storing cocoons by region, we help ensure bees that fit your backyard climate are shared with gardeners, farms, and orchards facing similar bloom timing and weather patterns. Your extra bees help pollinate gardens, farms, and orchards in similar regions next spring, expanding the impact of your successful season.
Have more than 10,000 cocoons? We happily accept donations above the maximum to share with nonprofit groups. Please email info@crownbees.com to coordinate.