Mason bees on Vancouver Island are typically black in colour, with males often sporting a small tuft of light-coloured hair on their heads. Females are generally larger than males, but both are covered in fine hairs that make them exceptional pollinators. As they move from flower to flower gathering pollen for their own needs, they unintentionally transfer pollen between blossoms, playing a crucial role in plant fertilization and making them highly effective pollinators.
Mason Bee Lifecycle
Mason bees are active from early spring until June or July, depending on the weather and the availability of forage. Their lifecycle begins when they hatch from their cocoons in spring. Males emerge first, waiting to mate with the females once they emerge. After mating, the males die, and the females begin their sole task— laying eggs.
Unlike honeybees and bumblebees, mason bees are solitary bees, meaning every female is her own queen. Because they don’t have a hive to defend, they tend to be more docile than social bees. A female mason bee will search for a suitable nesting site, often in small cavities like hollow reeds, drilled holes in wood, or specially designed mason bee houses.
Once she finds a nesting spot, she begins laying eggs sequentially along a tube. She starts by placing an egg at the back of the tunnel, adding a small ball of pollen as food, and then sealing it off with a mud wall—hence the name mason bee. She repeats this process, laying about 6 to 7 eggs per tube in a standard manufactured mason bee house.
By mid-summer, the adult female dies, leaving behind her carefully sealed nests. Inside, the eggs hatch into larvae, which feed on the stored pollen, growing until they spin a protective cocoon. By fall, they develop into fully formed adult mason bees but remain inside their cocoons throughout winter, safely tucked away until the warmth of spring signals the start of the cycle once again.
How to Care for Mason Bees
To successfully raise mason bees in your backyard, you’ll need to provide three essential components:
1. Mud
Mud is crucial for mason bees, as they use it to seal their eggs inside nesting tubes. If a female mason bee cannot find a suitable mud source nearby, she will likely move elsewhere to nest. Ensure you have a small patch of moist, clay-like mud available throughout the nesting season to support their reproduction.
2. Food
Mason bees forage within a 100-meter radius of their nesting site. If there aren’t enough flowers nearby, they will relocate to a better food source. To keep them in your yard, plant a variety of early-blooming flowers, fruit trees, and native plants that provide ample nectar and pollen.
3. A Nesting Home with Tubes
Mason bees need a secure nesting site with hollow tubes or drilled wood holes. Ideal bee houses contain removable paper or natural reed liners to keep nesting areas clean and prevent disease [check back in November for our cocoon management post!]. Place the house in a sunny location, facing east or southeast, to encourage early morning sun and therefore early morning activity.
Getting Started
If you're ready to start your mason bee journey this year, that's fantastic! We offer two styles of mason bee homes, plenty of nesting tubes, mason bee cocoons, and even mud sources for those unsure if their backyard has the right mud conditions.
Explore our full range of mason bee products through the link below!