RAISE BEES | STEP BY STEP

Solitary hole-nesting bees are very easy-to-raise. Caring for them takes about an hour of your time per year! No hive or honey upkeep.

• Approximate time commitment per year:
• 15 min set up nesting house
• 10 min bring inside to protect
• 30 min to harvest cocoons

Solitary bees are easy-to-raise, but like all creatures they need a few things to thrive. Morning sun wakes and gives bees the warmth and energy to start flying. Native flowers for forage (food) are best, and bees are happiest if they have a variety of flowers blooming throughout the season. Our well-designed bee houses and nesting materials provide quality shelter and nesting holes. Another component for bee-raising success is nearby nest-building materials: clayey mud for mason bees, leaves for leafcutter bees.

1. You can use the same nesting houses for both mason bee and leafcutter seasons. When the mason bees are done in the spring simply replace with leafcutter's 6mm-sized nesting holes.
2. Be careful to keep cocoons out of direct sunlight: full sun on cocoons can bake the eggs or developing bees inside.If outdoor temperatures are above 90°F/32°C, release any bees that may have emerged during shipping by opening the mesh bag near the bee house. Leave bag outside for 5-10 minutes to allow all bees to leave the bag. Keep the remaining cocoons indoors and allow bees to emerge in the mesh bag. Every 2-3 days, release the emerged bees near the bee house. Leafcutter bees can easily fly and pollinate in temperatures above 90° but they do not emerge well in high temperatures, the cocoons act as small ovens.
3. BeeGuard bags are large and designed to store and protect nesting holes for both bees. Mark leafcutter nesting tubes or tie together with string as they will stay in the bag over winter.

Raising solitary bees helps you provide nesting habitat and take care of wild bees and beneficial solitary wasps (that eat garden pests) and you may notice them move in, this is okay! Our Pollination Pack with a variety of nesting hole sizes is perfect for encouraging wild bees to nest. Wild bee guests may have a different life cycle and produce more than one generation during the flowering season. After collecting nesting holes, check your BeeGuard Bag to see if wild adult bees or wasps are emerging throughout the year.

We recommend harvesting mason bee cocoons in the fall and leafcutter bee cocoons in the early spring. Harvesting cocoons is the most effective way to protect next season’s bee health and it greatly reduces the spread of disease and pests.

Steps for Raising Mason & Leafcutter Bees

While the timing is different for spring mason bees and summer leafcutter bees, the process of raising them is very similar.

Install house

• Select a location that receives early morning sun (generally south to southeast facing) and protects the nesting materials from wind and rain. If your area has extreme heat (over 100°F/38°C) during the day, ensure that the house is shaded during the highest temperatures of the day, while still exposed to morning sun.
• Mount house at eye-level: 5-8 feet, 1.5-2.5 meters. These bees are fun to watch!
• If you paint the bee house, allow plenty of time for the paint to cure. The smell of wet paint may deter the bees.
• If birds become a problem, you can fashion a safe-zone with some wire mesh or chicken wire. Use a mesh size between ½” to ¾” and loosely create a 3" bubble around the front of the house. This gives the bees some space and keeps the birds from perching on the mesh.

Place Nesting Holes

• Generally, you should have 1 nest hole available for each cocoon (male and female). Female bees often claim two or more nest holes in one season.
• Put loose nesting holes in a random arrangement so the bees can find their nest hole easier.
• Many native bee species nest in a variety of hole sizes. Try our Pollination Pack and see what comes to nest!

Release Cocoons

• Pro Tip: Dandelions are blooming = time to release mason bee cocoons.
• Fun idea: Let a few mason or leafcutter bees emerge from cocoons in your hand while standing outside in your garden. Great fun for kids!
• Please remember to keep cocoons out of direct sun.
• Extend your bee season by releasing half your cocoons, then waiting a few weeks to release the second half. Remember to release a variety of cocoon sizes.

Bee Ready Garden - Plants

• Creating a bee garden helps other local, wild pollinators that simply aren’t able to fly long distances. Local food for local bees!
• The best flowers for bees are those native to your area because they have evolved to provide pollen and nectar. Ask your local nursery or native plant society about native plants that are blooming in early spring for mason bees and summer blooming for leafcutter bees. While hybrid plants are beautiful, they typically have less pollen and nectar.
• Consider turning a patch of your lawn into a pollinator buffet! Large clumps of flowers are more attractive to bees than individual plants. A mixture of flowers that bloom at different times will ensure that your bees have a constant food source. 
• Mow your lawn less often or set your lawn mower to the highest blade setting to allow some dandelions and clover to bloom.
• Reduce and avoid chemical use. Many chemical fertilizers and herbicides can be harmful or deter bees. Read more about chemicals and alternatives.
• Fun tip: 70% of native bees are ground-nesting (and solitary). Provide a friendly place for them that is mulch-free, low on foot traffic, and sunny.

Bee Ready Garden - Nest Building Materials

Wait & Watch

• As your bees emerge, you will see a beige substance that looks like splattered paint. The is meconium, the bee’s first elimination of waste (bee poop!).
• The males emerge first and wait for the females to emerge later.
• After mating, the female will claim a nesting hole and use it as a shelter at night and during poor weather.
• Fun idea: Shine a flashlight in the nesting holes at night or early morning. You’ll see bee faces (or bottoms) peering back at you.
• If you’re a morning person, watch the bees warm themselves at the front of their nesting hole in the morning sun.

Collect & Protect Nesting Holes

• At the end of the season of bee activity, remove nesting holes from the bee house to protect the developing bees from parasitic wasps and other predators. Place nesting holes inside the BeeGuardian bag with the capped or open end facing up. If weather is still warm, leafcutter bees can emerge again, watch for these extra bees if you choose to protect them.

Harvest Cocoons

• Harvesting cocoons ensures bee health, prevents the spread of disease, and reduces pest populations.
• For full instructions go to Harvest Cocoons | Step by Step.

Store Cocoons

Share Cocoons

Consider sharing the benefit of your excess native, solitary bee cocoons with your local friends, family, and other community members. Alternatively, exchange your excess mason bee cocoons with us for nesting materials, Crown Bees gift certificate, or check, with our BeeBuyBack program. We rehome your extra cocoons to other local gardeners or in nearby orchards and farms. Please note that leafcutter cocoons are not eligible for the BeeBuyBack program at this time.

Repeat

Continue on this yearly cycle and watch your bee population grow! If, like all of us, you're hooked on bees try adding another bee house, experiment with another nesting material, or expand your pollinating season with either spring mason bees or summer leafcutter bees.

Leafcutter Bee Cocoon Incubation

• Place the BeeGuard Bag full of harvested leafcutter cocoons into a dark warm location.
• Try this: incubate the cocoons near your hot water heater, remember to check periodically.
• Development is dependent on time spent in warmer temperatures.
•  At consistent 84°F (30°C), adults emerge after 20 days 
•  At 70°F (21°C), adults emerge after about 42 days
• After about 7-12 days begin checking for Pteromalus and kill these very small parasitic wasps.
• Some leafcutter bees have a shorter development cycle and may begin emerging after 18-20 days of warmth.
• Release emerged adult bees and place remaining unopened cocoons into the bee house.
• Intact cocoons can't regulate their temperature above  90°F (32°C), place them in a cooler location and release adult bees as they emerge until the hot weather passes.