Hi jbest. I am confused. Did you buy tubes with bee eggs in them the first year? Do you keep adding tubes every year? Can some of the tubes be re-used? Do you clean them out after hatching or do the bees do this? So many questions....so little time...
Hi jbest. I am confused. Did you buy tubes with bee eggs in them the first year? Yes Do you keep adding tubes every year? Yes Can some of the tubes be re-used? Yes but not on purpose, bee mites control Do you clean them out after hatching or do the bees do this? The bees do it So many questions....so little time... Tell me about it!
Oh, those bug hotels are really fancy. We've been trying to make one or two small ones from cut bamboo sticks. They're not ready yet. Maybe next year.
Make the tubes at least 6" long. The adult female bee will deposit several female larvae first followed by several male larvae. The reason is the males will emerge first and hover around the nest to breed with the females as they emerge. If you make the tubes to short you will get more females than males. ( photo / image / picture from jbest123's Garden )
