Mason Bee & Leafcutter Bee Blocks

thingiverse

These mason bee and leafcutter bee houses require paper inserts for harvesting, cleaning, and storing the cocoons. To allow for these essential tasks, I recommend using baking parchment paper, which will withstand the elements, prevent rot or mold from developing, and does not contain any undesirable chemicals that might harm the bees. The number printed on the back piece indicates the number of tubes in the block. For more information, watch the instructional video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Nyg04d8Aw. To prepare the paper inserts, cut enough parchment paper for your block plus a few extras. The dimensions for mason bee tubes are 6.5" x 4", and for leafcutter bee tubes they are 6.5" x 2.5". Roll the paper around a wooden dowel (1/4" for mason bees, 3/16" for leafcutter bees) and insert it into the back side of the block, leaving about 1/2" of rolled paper sticking out. Make sure the paper is even with the front side and fill all holes with the rolled paper insert. Fold excess paper down and attach the back piece with screws (#8 x 3/4" pan head sheet metal screws). This will close off the back of the tubes, prevent the paper inserts from falling out, and give you a handle to pull the inserts out for harvest. Mason bees and leafcutter bees are solitary bees that are easy to care for and manage. They are great pollinators, but if you're new to caring for these types of bees, I recommend learning from a local beekeeper or gardener and finding information online or in books on how to care for and keep solitary bees. The block design has a few variations available, including one without a face pattern, one with a "heart" pattern, one with a "spiral" pattern, and one with a "zigzag" pattern. The patterns are intended to be printed with a different color of plastic than the main block. Choose a contrasting color that bees can easily see. Bees can't see red; it appears as black to them. You can use red as a contrasting color against lighter colors, but not with black. The idea is to change the filament when you get to the pattern layer, which should make it easier for the bees to orient themselves and find the correct hole they've been working in. I tested both the mason bee and leafcutter bee blocks for one season. I had great success with the mason bee block, but not so much with the leafcutter bees. It's possible that things didn't work out well with the leafcutters due to a bad batch of cocoons or my yard being inadequate for them. Alternatively, I may have put them out too late in the season. Consider all of these blocks, both mason and leafcutter, to be experimental, and by participating in this experiment you'll be increasing the study sample size. If you use this design, please let me know how things work out for you and your bees. For more information on disassembly and harvesting, watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRsffOIRtWA.