Mason Bee Condo

Mason Bee Condo

Designed and built by the mason bee guru of the northwest, these are by far the most user friendly mason bee houses that we’ve ever seen. They come with two separate “homes” that each have 70 mason bee tubes for your bees to nest in. The disposable paper tubes sit inside thicker permanent tubes and the beauty of these particular paper tubes is that each one has a pre-cut slit running the length of them, making it even easier for you to remove and clean off your mason bees in the fall.

These mason bee houses also come with an emergence box to place your cocoons in that allow the mason bees a safe dry place to wake from their winter slumber. It fits snugly between the two houses so the mason bees know right where to come back to when it’s time to lay their eggs.

Our Mason Bee Condo comes fully assembled and includes a real wood housing to keep your bees dry. The back of the house has a hook making the kit ready to hang. Don’t forget to include a box of Live Mason Bees and a bag of clay to help the bees seal their home if a good source is not available near by.

Read all about mason bees and caring for them with our Mason Bee Care Guide

Mason Bee Condo Installation Instructions:

1. The best time to place your bees outside is in late winter/early spring before temperatures get above 60 degrees.
2. Determine the number of tubes you need to place in condo. Each can is supplied with 72 kraft tubes with pre-slit white inserts. Rule of thumb: you’ll need 10 tubes for every 14 bee cocoons. So, if you purchase 50 cocoons, you should place only 36 tubes in the can. Store surplus tubes/liners for use in subsequent years.
3. Place clean cocoons inside white emergence box and then secure the lid of the box to the underside using two strips of masking tape.
4. Attach the emergence box to one or both cans in the bee condo using the supplied velcro strips. Make sure that the box is not exposed to the elements. Mason bees do not like getting wet.
5. You should place your bee condo in a location where the bees will have access to some sunshine and also be protected from rain. Recommendation: insert a picture hook underneath an eave with eastern or western exposure. Place the condo on the hook.
6. The bees will do the rest. Enjoy!