JodiDB said:I just started with raising Mason bees, made a house bought the cocoons, hung the house and put the box inside the eves.........omg tonite it must have gotten windy and the box blew and do did the cocoons......now what ? Will they still hatch ?
I'm pretty certain the bees will still emerge from the cocoons. When they're harvested in the fall they're washed and they're handled a lot. They seem fairly resilient. The problem would be the birds. I have such problems with birds I build a protective cage around my house.
As far as them finding their way back to your bee house is uncertain. Crown bees does sell an attractant but I've never tried it.
Below are some pictures of the mason bee attempt I'm doing for my daughter in her garden.
We had a small emergence, I only saw a couple. I think I may have set them out too soon before her apple blossoms had fully opened. I didn't realize they emerged so quickly. Leaf cutter bees usually take 1 or 2 weeks.
For pepito54, I'm not sure about cedar?
Hole sizes are generally 8mm for mason bees and 6mm for leaf cutter bees.
I was worried about mine being blown away too Jodi, so I put them in a tray and taped cardboard over the section of the house with an easy exit hole.
