Thank you bumplbea.
The straws used for the nesting tubes I found online, they're paper but very rigid. I have two sizes; 6mm for leaf cutter bees and 8mm for mason bees. Mason bees are earlier and good for apple blossom pollination. Both are due to arrive this week. The leaf cutter bee nesting block will be kept cool until May. Bottom right are bamboo stakes cut to length and the soft centers drilled out.
Photo is last years leaf cutter bee nesting tubes. The very green leaf caps are newly made by the bees after only a week. Our harvest last year was the best ever, with the pollination causing better fruit set, particularly with squash, pumpkins etc.
