Mason Bees

How To Raise Bees

Mason bees are the perfect pollinators for spring gardens, farms,

and orchards because they are gentle, easy to raise, and fun to watch.

Learn how to create a safe nesting habitat and raise these bees in your backyard and don't forget to sign up for BeeMail! We thoughtfully craft our BeeMail with seasonal reminders and tips to help you raise healthy, mason bees!
Click here to sign up and never worry about remembering when to do what again!

MASON BEE BEGINNER'S GUIDE

MASON BEE BEGINNER'S GUIDE

This guide covers the fundamental questions about mason bees and provides step-by-step guidance to help you become a successful bee raiser.
MASON BEE VIDEO LIBRARY

MASON BEE VIDEO LIBRARY

We know that video is one of the best ways for visual learners to absorb information. Here you'll find our most popular videos about mason bees!
READ THIS BEFORE YOU BUY BEES

READ THIS BEFORE YOU BUY BEES

Perhaps the biggest problem facing the bee industry is the boom of uninformed people and companies selling bees and products. Did you know that certain bee rearing practices can wind up doing more harm than good?
MASON BEE CHARACTERISTICS AND IDENTIFICATION

MASON BEE CHARACTERISTICS AND IDENTIFICATION

Learn the common characteristics that the genus Osmia (mason bees) share to help you pick out the mason bees from the other insect pollinators in your yard and garden.
MASON BEE LIFE CYCLE

MASON BEE LIFE CYCLE

Mason bees are only active in your garden for about 4-6 weeks, beginning early spring and spend the rest of their lives inside their nesting chambers. This guide is a seasonal look at a year in the life of a mason bee!
THE MASON BEE RAISER CALENDAR

THE MASON BEE RAISER CALENDAR

Mason bees hibernate as adults and emerge once daily spring temperatures are a consistent 55°F/13°C or above. This calendar breaks down mason bee raising tasks by season (and temperature) to ensure this guide is helpful no matter where you live!
WHERE OUR MASON BEES COME FROM

WHERE OUR MASON BEES COME FROM

We take great pride in providing you with healthy mason bees specific to your region to give both you and the bees the best chance for success! The specific species of Mason Bee that you will receive from us is dependent on your location.
PICKING YOUR MASON BEE SHIP DATE

PICKING YOUR MASON BEE SHIP DATE

Spring mason bees overwinter as adults, ready to emerge when daytime temperatures reach a consistent 55°F/13°C and spring blooms are open. Use this guide to help you pick the best shipping date for your mason bees.
MASON BEES BY MAIL INSTRUCTIONS

MASON BEES BY MAIL INSTRUCTIONS

Use this guide to learn what to do once your mason bees arrive at your doorstep.
WHAT TO DO WITH STORE BOUGHT MASON BEES

WHAT TO DO WITH STORE BOUGHT MASON BEES

Use this guide to learn what to do once you bring your mason bees home from the store.
HOW TO RELEASE MASON BEE COCOONS

HOW TO RELEASE MASON BEE COCOONS

Releasing mason bee cocoons means placing cocoons into your bee house so they can emerge and begin spring activities. Before you release your cocoons, you'll want to make sure your yard and garden are ready for these super spring pollinators!
THE IMPORTANCE OF MUD

THE IMPORTANCE OF MUD

There's a reason we call them mason bees! Female mason bees build the walls of their nesting chambers out of mud or other "masonry" products to give each egg a safe place to develop into an adult bee.
SUMMER: REMOVE, PROTECT, STORE

SUMMER: REMOVE, PROTECT, STORE

Female mason bees only forage and nest for about 4-6 weeks and produce just one generation per year. So, once the females have completed nesting, we can remove and store the developing bees in a safe space, away from hungry predators.
PARASITES AND DISEASES OF MASON BEES

PARASITES AND DISEASES OF MASON BEES

Proper care can significantly reduce the incidences of pests, parasites, and diseases and allow managed bees to thrive. This article highlights the common enemies of mason bees by season and methods for their control.
HARVESTING MASON BEES

HARVESTING MASON BEES

Learn the importance of harvesting cocoons, the best harvesting practices for our three different types of nesting materials (natural reeds, wood trays, and cardboard tubes), and how to clean and store your mason bee cocoons for healthy spring bees!
SIMPLE HARVESTING GUIDE - DOWNLOADABLE PDF

SIMPLE HARVESTING GUIDE - DOWNLOADABLE PDF

Learn how to harvest cocoons from nesting materials, what to do with pests, and if you need to wash cocoons or not. If you've harvested in the past, this guide is a great tool to refresh your harvesting knowledge.
WHAT'S THIS? PICTORIAL GUIDE FOR MASON BEE HARVESTING

WHAT'S THIS? PICTORIAL GUIDE FOR MASON BEE HARVESTING

During mason bee cocoon harvesting, you'll find all sorts of things inside the nesting materials. This pictorial guide will help you identify the various things you may come across while harvesting.
MASON BEE BASICS PPT

MASON BEE BASICS PPT

This PPT was created to help raise awareness and educate communities on the importance of mason bees. It includes speaker notes to help you present with confidence. You can easily edit and tailor the presentation to meet the needs of your audience.