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To: MomwithHope
You must have a muddy spot near by! I purchased one set of tubes and the next year a block that a Mason Bee supplier but they did not use it either year! If they stay around they probably go up under the shingles on my or a neighbor's house to nest.

Mason bees are better pollinators than honey bees!

https://backyardbeekeeping.iamcountryside.com/plants-pollination/what-do-mason-bees-pollinate/

"Mason bees work faster, darting from flower to flower at a much quicker rate than honey bees. Although honey bees can fly very fast in a straight line, when they are working flowers, they tend to dork around and take their time. Try taking pictures of both, and you can feel (and see) the difference.

Lastly, the pollen on a mason bee’s body is held loosely. They have hairs for collecting pollen on their abdomen (called a scopa), and also on their face. They use their legs to push pollen into the scopa where individual pollen grains can easily rub off onto the next flower, allowing pollination. Honey bees, on the other hand, have a pollen press on each hind leg. The honey bees moisten the pollen with nectar and then press it into the pollen baskets on each leg. This pollen — wetted and pressed — is like dough. It is unusable for pollination because it won’t rub off onto the next flower." For the sake of the honey we still like honey bees!

52 posted on 08/13/2022 5:42:42 PM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission (Zone 6B KS/MO Border KC area)
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

Yes I learned about them years ago, a documentary on youtube. Hubby used to keep 4 honeybee hives years ago. Mason bees are better pollinators. We have no mud that I know of. When I hung the house I wanted to find a few shovelfuls of clay mud but never got around to it, after a week I looked and the tubes were filling up, even watched a bee going in. I just got done sewing a bag out of organza. Found out when storing the house for the winter it needs to be bagged to keep out mites.


56 posted on 08/13/2022 6:08:56 PM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission
I just picked up the house at a local store. 12.00 and it came with the tubes. After a week it looked like this. The more I read about them I found out Mason bees are very common and most people have them, they just don't know it. bee
57 posted on 08/13/2022 6:16:19 PM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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