Orchard Mason Bees / Cocoons Cleaning Using Sand Part 1

[robomantis]

I want the nests you have but don't have the tools to make them.

[1946eugene]

Thanks, I will wait till it gets cold.

[1946eugene]

How late in fall do you need to wait to do the cleaning method?

[hutchingsbeeservice]

You can do it pretty much anytime between late October and late January, depending on your area. You just can't do it in an unusually warm area that could mimic Spring for instance, otherwise the bees might start emerging. I would keep the clean cocoons outside instead of fridge if earlier in the year. This can dessicate them and you may get some mortality. I never use a fridge unless it's close to the normal time of emergence. Good luck.

[MrTimbo48]

After taking the cocoons out, do you clean your hive bodies in any way?

[hutchingsbeeservice]

I strip the Hutchings Peek-a-Boo covers off and wash in the dishwater when I'm finished cleaning the dishes. The trays themselves, I scrub with a wire brush then can wash again with a non-residue leaving cleaner like acetone or methyl hydrate, not very much, but just enough to kill any mould and/or mite action. Some folks prefer soapy water but it depends on the state of the wood. I sand down any rough edges and re-set everything and re-assemble ready for next year.

Thanks for your question.

[138hotdog]

Really like the video a lot of very good infomation would like to see maybe a quick break down on the boxes help me stop the pit falls for first time makers and the idea of showing others these little guy's living really had a postive response

[SeattleGreen1]

I tried this method for cleaning about 60 bee cocoons this weekend, and it was a cinch.

It was easier than the bleach method , and actually a lot cleaner as well. Sift, toss in sand for 30 seconds, sift again, done. No messy sink, no having to dry the cocoons on the counter.

I looked at the cocoons with 30X magnification afterwards and didn't see any mites.

Definitely a great technique that I will use again next year. Thanks!

[hutchingsbeeservice]

Yup, using the magnifier is the clincer I know. We've used our dissecting scope and inspected our cocoons after the bleach method and still found living mites clinging to them. Next step is to get a small amount of 100% bleach and put some live mites on the surface then check them in a few hours, or the next day. We still found them alive!

Glad it worked for and thanks so much for posting.

[SeattleGreen1]

In the video you show four different tyeps of houses. Which type would you say is the best?

[hutchingsbeeservice]

Clear covers on top of each tray allows you to witness the progress of the contents within. This way, you can make sure your condo is "finished" up at the end of the season and not being used by another species of beneficial bee or wasp, and can be put away completely out of harm's way if it gets really hot later on in August say. Also, adds for enjoyment and showing off to your friends etc. I used it in my research to document each female's laying rate.

[hutchingsbeeservice]

Having said that, any type of tray in your condo that can accommodate a clear cover should do. What's more important besides not going to a blind, drilled hole that you can't extract live cocoons, is to consider length (assuming you are using a proper 6.5-7mm width channel). I found in my research that both the optimum length for not only all bee progeny, but specifically females was 29.5cm (~11.5"). I found completely filled channels showing that one female utilised the entire length.

[hutchingsbeeservice]

Further, if the bee's activity was interrupted with say, a death, an intercalary cell would be produced by the next usurping female. I documented this in my findings.

Excellent question again. Something I can't cover in the video. Maybe I shoud do more, but want better quality.

[SeattleGreen1]

I've had persistent problems with mites, eventhoughI follow the standard instructions and wash the bees twice in a 5% bleach solution. Sand looks a bit easier to use. Do you find that it removes more parasites?

[hutchingsbeeservice]

Bleach doesn't kill the mites, so I ask, why is it even used? Next time, put some mites directly in bleach, leave over night then get a magnifying glass and take a look (if you don't have a dissecting microscope). With sand and tumbled in a closed container, gently, we have seen no mites left on our cocoons. Use your scope again to see. Mind you, you have to roll around for about 30 seconds or so depending how much sand to cocoon ratio you have. Excellent question. Thanks for asking.

[hutchingsbeeservice]

I forgot to add, the mites will be doing the "backstroke" on the surface next day. Try using just plain water and you'll get the same results. Either way, you'll risk moulding up your cocoons so we don't recommend anything wet!

[wildberrymangmail]

excellent

[111hutch]

Thanks. A bit sketchy on the quality but then what do you expect from just a laptop video. We've put the emphasis on substance rather than quality. If someone locally is willing to produce more, or improve on this one, I'm very keen to show other innovative techniques and know-how.

[hutchingsbeeservice]

Thanks, just wish I could find someone local who could improve the quality with a proper video cam.

[PEIBlue]

What type of wood have you tried that works best ?Any that are not good?

[111hutch]

We've used fir, spruce, pine and red cedar but we mostly produce them out of spruce. I can't say anything that is NOT good, but make sure there aren't bad entrance slivers along the length for the bees to get trapped.

[cmotown1]

Where can I purchase those type of condos??

[hutchingsbeeservice]

Here in Victoria, B.C., Canada, these type of condos have spread since we first came up with them and used to sell about 15 years ago. Now we just sell them through the facilities that we teach. The Vancouver Island Compost Centre I believe retails them for $30CAN. Otherwise, if you're really desperate, we could ship to you. All of ours utilise the clear cover on each tray which you can pull out and see the bees inside activities.

[hutchingsbeeservice]

One more idea is, why not try and make yourself? If you want an idea of plans, I could provide. If so, why not contact me directly instead of going on this text comment page.

[hutchingsbeeservice]

Whatever you do come up with, if you want proper bee husbandry, do NOT go with the drilled block of wood design. This is just a trap and you cannot extract the bees safely. There are also other species of beneficial pollinators that have different time frames of activity than the orchard mason bees. You also do NOT want to wash your bees using a water/bleach method. It doesn't fully work and you risk mould when storing your cocoons.

[solitarybee]

Great video (1/2). These gents know their solitary bee stuff - the sand scouring method is pretty neat.

[solitarybee]

I have gone from 90 to 350 cocoons last year, so this method really appeals to me. I just blogged and twittered about your videos yesterday so your method should be getting more air-time.

I have a further question - what time of the year do you do this clean up?

[hutchingsbeeservice]

We clean essentially when all the bees have finished metamorphosizing within the cocoons, including all species that utilise the condos. We pick some time ranging from October to January. Our intended bees (Osmia lignaria propinqua) emerge potentially from end of Feb. onwards. Usually this is in the first week of March mostly but we've had unusual years.