How to Make Mason Bee Houses Easy Craft
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This DIY mason bee house is my attempt at attracting more pollinators to my yard and providing them a save place to feed and reproduce. I had never heard the term 'mason bee' before, but once I checked them out on Wikipedia I knew what they were. They are named from their habit of making compartments of mud in their nests, which are made in hollow reeds or holes in wood made by an assortment of bugs.
Basically, instead of hives, like traditional honey bees, mason bees lay their eggs in hollow twigs. This DIY mason bee house was incredibly simple to make with one upcycled tin can and a ton of bamboo we had tossed into the weed pile. If you are concerned about bringing bees to your yard, check out my post on how to avoid bee stings to protect yourself.
Tips for Making a Mason Bee House
If you don't have bamboo or any hollow reeds (some dried flower stalks work!), you can use rolled up paper. Just sit your kids down with a pile of scrap paper and roll it up to form 'straw like' structures. Tuck those inside the can.
Once your diy mason bee house is done, hang it in your garden or wherever you want your pollinators to hang out. I poked a hole in this bee house with a nail so I could string some twine through it and hang it on the fence post. You don't even have to paint the can like I did but I thought it looked pretty and maybe the bright color would attract more mason bees.
More Garden DIYs
- DIY Earwig Trap for Your Garden
- Easy DIY Garden Markers Spoons
- How to Preserve Hot Peppers
- What Honeybees Do and 10 actionable ways YOU can help protect them.
Please remember that pollinators are very sensitive to chemical pesticides. Protect their health by using only natural garden products. Check out my post on cheap and organic gardening solutions for more info.
What is a Mason Bee?
Mason bees are a type of nativebee that's common throughout most of the U.S. They are usually a little smaller than a honeybee, and typically metallic blue or blue-black in color. All Mason Bees are solitary, so each female is a queen who also does all of the chores.
In North America, there are about 140 different mason bee species — with about 200 species worldwide! They are great little pollinators and like a very particular type of cavity for nesting.
DIY Mason Bee House Directions
Supplies:
- 1 empty tin can, label removed and washed.
- spray paint in your desired color (optional)
- rolls of scrap paper, hollow bamboo stalks, or hollow reeds to put inside
- Nail and hammer to make a hole in the can
- Twine to hang your diy mason bee house
Instructions:
Make your rolls of paper or cut your stalks of bamboo/hollow reeds to whatever length is needed to fit the can
Using a thick nail and hammer, make a hole in the bottom of the can to thread the twine through
Paint the tin can if desired
Thread the twine through the hole and knot the end
Add the hollow structures inside the can, packing as tightly as possible
Hang your mason bee house wherever you want your bees to hang out.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Active Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Difficulty medium
Estimated Cost $5
Materials
- 1 empty tin can, label removed and washed.
- spray paint in your desired color (optional)
- rolls of scrap paper, hollow bamboo stalks, or hollow reeds to put inside
- Nail and hammer to make a hole in the can
- Twine to hang your diy mason bee house
Instructions
- Cut your stalks of bamboo/hollow reeds to whatever length is needed to fit the can
- Using a thick nail and hammer, make a hole in the bottom of the can to thread the twine through
- Paint the tin can if desired
- Thread the twine through the hole and knot the end
- Add the hollow structures inside the can, packing as tightly as possible
- Hang your mason bee house wherever you want your bees to hang out.
Notes
Try to cut the reeds so they fit inside the tin can. Mine got wet in the rain which is not good for bee houses.
Want to attract even more pollinators to your garden?
Make this honeybee watering station!
Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire and has worked in cancer research, academics, and biotechnology. Concern over the growing incidence of human disease and the birth of her children led her to begin living a more natural life. She quickly realized that the information she was learning along the way could be beneficial to many others and started blogging and freelance writing to share this knowledge with others. Learn more about her HERE.
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Source: https://www.turningclockback.com/diy-mason-bee-house/
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