The splendid news – for those of us beginners working to understand the reproductive needs of solitary bees – is that orchard mason bee nesting tubes can be built from a wide spectrum of materials. On this note, I found it extremely compelling to experiment with the stems of the cup plant. Given the 5/16-inch diameter requirement for the opening of a nesting tube to be desirable for the female orchard mason bee to lay eggs inside, it was exhilarating to discover that the pith of the dead cup plant (Siphium perfoliatum) stems could be “drilled” into by simply pressing a 5/16″ wooden dowel into it.
If you have access to these (or similar) stems, the following photos are provided to describe the simplicity of the process you can go through to create orchard mason bee nesting tubes.
I would like to extend a huge thank-you to our Charlie Menting of Skills for Tomorrow High School and our newest intern from Cretin Durham High School for volunteering to create the first prototypes of this experimental – and yet highly natural – nesting material.
If you try these nests out this spring, please let me know the results.
First things first! Cut a six inch length of dead cup plant stem. Do it now!
Before you get distracted with something else, stick a 5/16 inch wooden dowel into the interior of your cup plant stem. Resist the urge to stick it all the way through! Discipline yourself and make sure there is no back door!
The hole has been created. Fans of Tolkien may note that the front doors of hobbits houses are round also.
You can bundle the stems with a tightly-wound jute string while thinking of those who have fought (and continue to fight, relentlessly, against ferocious authoritarian powers) for basic human rights.
The back door may require a few drops of wax to ensure full closure. Orchard mason bees, unlike some high-ranking members of organized crime, apparently do not appreciate rear entrances.
Six very black holes…be careful not to get sucked in!
When you hang your nesting bundles in a tree or on a fence post or somewhere, take care to tie them tightly to whatever object you’re fixing them to. Orchard mason bees apparently prefer a sense of stability, and that’s okay.
Sometimes it’s fun to lay a bunch of nesting bundles in a row and quietly admire work well done.
If you were smaller…and if you laid eggs…you’d want to go in, too.
Green Noise 