How can you start breeding mason bee?

How to do it? - step by step instruction

1. How many mason bee cocoons do you need?
 

• if you have a small plot, garden or small backyard orchard, 200 – 400 mason bee cocoons should be enough for you,
• for a larger plot or an orchard of up to 0.5 ha with various trees, we recommend 700 cocoons.
• for larger crops, you need more sets distributed fairly evenly in the orchard / plantation, the recommended number of bees depending on the type of crop can be found here and sets with 700 or 1000 cocoons are best for this purpose.

Warning!
Cocoons are only available during the sale period (usually October-February)

2. How many nests do you need?

It can be assumed that 5 nesting trays are needed for every 100 cocoons.
Therefore, for example:

• for 200 cocoons you need 10 nesting trays,
• for 400 cocoons you need 20 nesting trays,
• for 700 cocoons you need 35 nesting trays,
• for 1000 cocoons you need 50 nesting trays.

3. Casing - where to put the nests?

You have a choice:

• hotels for insects that can be hung on a tree, fence or wall,
• portable nesting boxes, intended, for example, for plantations of berry bushes, to be placed on a frame, under a roof.

The size should depend on the number of nests selected. You can also choose a larger casing if you plan to develop a mason bee breeding farm or you want to place a box with cocoons on the nesting trays, inside the casing.

Thus:
Hotel for insects, size S - can hold up to 20 nesting trays,
Hotel for insects, size M - can hold up to 35 nesting trays,
Hotel for insects, size L - can hold up to 50 nesting trays,
Nesting box - can hold up to 35 nesting trays.
 

• Osmia rufa / bicornis cocoons
• Set of 10 nesting trays,
• Set of 20 nesting trays,
• Set of 35 nesting trays,
• Set of 50 nesting trays,
• Hotel for insects (size S),
• Hotel for insects (size M),
• Hotel for insects (size L),
• Nesting box,
• Cocoons release box,
• Separator.

Attention!

The set should be placed at any height, preferably not less than 1m from the ground, in a place providing protection against rain and wind, and the nesting box with trays must not be exposed to direct sunlight (high temperature during hot days may cause deformation of nesting trays and narrowing the nest channels)!
​​​​