Orchard Mason Bees / Cocoons Cleaning Using Sand Part 1
This Is our way of cleaning orchard mason bees in cocoons with the use of sand. This method was first created by Hutchings Bee Service. If you have any questions on this video please comment.
21 Responses to Orchard Mason Bees / Cocoons Cleaning Using Sand Part 1
Leave a Reply
Great information, thanks for sharing!
Alexis Hope
April 21, 2015 at 9:56 am
Can you tell me where I can get mason bee condos in Canada?
Barbara Lindberg
April 21, 2015 at 10:50 am
Very informative videos. I had no idea of the mite problem for mason bees
and I was shocked when you pointed out a large yellow clump of them. It
doesn’t look too labour intensive to do the sand cleaning and storage for
the bees and I’m sure they’ll be much healthier as a result.
Barbara Lindberg
April 21, 2015 at 11:31 am
Great video (1/2). These gents know their solitary bee stuff – the sand
scouring method is pretty neat.
solitarybee
April 21, 2015 at 11:43 am
excellent
wildberrymangmail
April 21, 2015 at 12:02 pm
You can do it pretty much anytime between late October and late January,
depending on your area. You just can’t do it in an unusually warm area that
could mimic Spring for instance, otherwise the bees might start emerging. I
would keep the clean cocoons outside instead of fridge if earlier in the
year. This can dessicate them and you may get some mortality. I never use a
fridge unless it’s close to the normal time of emergence. Good luck.
hutchingsbeeservice
April 21, 2015 at 1:00 pm
Where can I purchase those type of condos??
CLIFF MO
April 21, 2015 at 1:54 pm
Yup, using the magnifier is the clincer I know. We’ve used our dissecting
scope and inspected our cocoons after the bleach method and still found
living mites clinging to them. Next step is to get a small amount of 100%
bleach and put some live mites on the surface then check them in a few
hours, or the next day. We still found them alive! Glad it worked for and
thanks so much for posting.
hutchingsbeeservice
April 21, 2015 at 2:21 pm
Here in Victoria, B.C., Canada, these type of condos have spread since we
first came up with them and used to sell about 15 years ago. Now we just
sell them through the facilities that we teach. The Vancouver Island
Compost Centre I believe retails them for $30CAN. Otherwise, if you’re
really desperate, we could ship to you. All of ours utilise the clear cover
on each tray which you can pull out and see the bees inside activities.
hutchingsbeeservice
April 21, 2015 at 2:40 pm
One more idea is, why not try and make yourself? If you want an idea of
plans, I could provide. If so, why not contact me directly instead of going
on this text comment page.
hutchingsbeeservice
April 21, 2015 at 2:45 pm
Bleach doesn’t kill the mites, so I ask, why is it even used? Next time,
put some mites directly in bleach, leave over night then get a magnifying
glass and take a look (if you don’t have a dissecting microscope). With
sand and tumbled in a closed container, gently, we have seen no mites left
on our cocoons. Use your scope again to see. Mind you, you have to roll
around for about 30 seconds or so depending how much sand to cocoon ratio
you have. Excellent question. Thanks for asking.
hutchingsbeeservice
April 21, 2015 at 3:04 pm
I have gone from 90 to 350 cocoons last year, so this method really appeals
to me. I just blogged and twittered about your videos yesterday so your
method should be getting more air-time. I have a further question – what
time of the year do you do this clean up?
solitarybee
April 21, 2015 at 3:28 pm
I want the nests you have but don’t have the tools to make them.
robo mantis
April 21, 2015 at 4:20 pm
Clear covers on top of each tray allows you to witness the progress of the
contents within. This way, you can make sure your condo is “finished” up at
the end of the season and not being used by another species of beneficial
bee or wasp, and can be put away completely out of harm’s way if it gets
really hot later on in August say. Also, adds for enjoyment and showing off
to your friends etc. I used it in my research to document each female’s
laying rate.
hutchingsbeeservice
April 21, 2015 at 5:17 pm
Whatever you do come up with, if you want proper bee husbandry, do NOT go
with the drilled block of wood design. This is just a trap and you cannot
extract the bees safely. There are also other species of beneficial
pollinators that have different time frames of activity than the orchard
mason bees. You also do NOT want to wash your bees using a water/bleach
method. It doesn’t fully work and you risk mould when storing your cocoons.
hutchingsbeeservice
April 21, 2015 at 5:49 pm
Having said that, any type of tray in your condo that can accommodate a
clear cover should do. What’s more important besides not going to a blind,
drilled hole that you can’t extract live cocoons, is to consider length
(assuming you are using a proper 6.5-7mm width channel). I found in my
research that both the optimum length for not only all bee progeny, but
specifically females was 29.5cm (~11.5″). I found completely filled
channels showing that one female utilised the entire length.
hutchingsbeeservice
April 21, 2015 at 6:25 pm
I forgot to add, the mites will be doing the “backstroke” on the surface
next day. Try using just plain water and you’ll get the same results.
Either way, you’ll risk moulding up your cocoons so we don’t recommend
anything wet!
hutchingsbeeservice
April 21, 2015 at 6:54 pm
Thanks, just wish I could find someone local who could improve the quality
with a proper video cam.
hutchingsbeeservice
April 21, 2015 at 7:45 pm
Further, if the bee’s activity was interrupted with say, a death, an
intercalary cell would be produced by the next usurping female. I
documented this in my findings. Excellent question again. Something I can’t
cover in the video. Maybe I shoud do more, but want better quality.
hutchingsbeeservice
April 21, 2015 at 8:08 pm
We clean essentially when all the bees have finished metamorphosizing
within the cocoons, including all species that utilise the condos. We pick
some time ranging from October to January. Our intended bees (Osmia
lignaria propinqua) emerge potentially from end of Feb. onwards. Usually
this is in the first week of March mostly but we’ve had unusual years.
hutchingsbeeservice
April 21, 2015 at 9:06 pm
I strip the Hutchings Peek-a-Boo covers off and wash in the dishwater when
I’m finished cleaning the dishes. The trays themselves, I scrub with a wire
brush then can wash again with a non-residue leaving cleaner like acetone
or methyl hydrate, not very much, but just enough to kill any mould and/or
mite action. Some folks prefer soapy water but it depends on the state of
the wood. I sand down any rough edges and re-set everything and re-assemble
ready for next year. Thanks for your question.
hutchingsbeeservice
April 21, 2015 at 9:37 pm