It might work, I've seen carpenter bees use aromatic cedar trees that were dead so perhaps the oils won't deter mason bees from using them.
List of Bryant RedHawk's Epic Soil Series Threads We love visitors, that's why we live in a secluded cabin deep in the woods. "Buzzard's Roost (Asnikiye Heca) Farm." Promoting permaculture to save our planet.
Dennis Bangham
pollinator
Posts: 927
Location: Huntsville Alabama (North Alabama), Zone 7B
Just a small yellow flag Bryant, I've heard that cedar has natural insecticides built into it while still wet. Using it for a house is great. Using it for the nesting holes might not be wise. I'd wait a few years prior to doing that.
Do consider using holes that you can open up,like reeds, paper tubes or wood trays. Pest management.
Dave, Crown Bees
Owner, Crown Bees
Think outside the hive, raise native bees
Dennis Bangham
pollinator
Posts: 927
Location: Huntsville Alabama (North Alabama), Zone 7B
The tree has been dead for a couple years but has not fallen.
I do have some parchment paper to make tubes with.
Actually that makes it easier since I was wondering how to clean out the holes after the bees hatch. It will fit any size diameter hole too.
Thanks
Other people may reject you but if you lie in the forest floor for long enough the moss and fungi will accept you as one of their own!
I am glad you clarified that Dave, I did mention that I've seen carpenter bees using dead cedars but didn't mention fresh cut or living trees.
Glad you gave my post a yellow card, sometimes I get in a hurry to finish a post and important information ends up not in the post. I appreciate those who point out my "left outs".
Redhawk
List of Bryant RedHawk's Epic Soil Series Threads We love visitors, that's why we live in a secluded cabin deep in the woods. "Buzzard's Roost (Asnikiye Heca) Farm." Promoting permaculture to save our planet.
I've used white cedar for mason bee nest but they were a few years old before i drilled them so the oils probably leached out of them. had plenty of masons take up residence in them over the last couple years.
Dennis Bangham wrote:The tree has been dead for a couple years but has not fallen.
I do have some parchment paper to make tubes with.
Actually that makes it easier since I was wondering how to clean out the holes after the bees hatch. It will fit any size diameter hole too.
Thanks
do you have any invasive japanese knotweed growing near you? they make the best mason bee tubes and are free. harvest the ones that you can just put a pencil into. cut them to 6in pieces and bind together. make a box out of wood and place them in there or a 12in section of 6-8in pic pipe works too. come mid summer harvest the cocoons and keep in the garage to protect them from birds and wasps. when it starts to get cold put them in the fridge or could just leave in the garage. keep a most p towel in there so they don't dry out but don't let it touch cocoons. once temps in the mid 50's outside, come spring put them out to hatch near their nesting box. check out crown bees to see how to harvest cocoons. this is important because if you just put blocks out it won't be long disease and predation will attack them because so much cocoons in 1 spot makes them vulnerable. in the wild they don't nest near each other like that.
Dennis Bangham
pollinator
Posts: 927
Location: Huntsville Alabama (North Alabama), Zone 7B
I am not sure if that is in my area. I will keep an eye out but since it is an invasive plant it may be hard to find before it gets sprayed.
I have a lot of information on harvesting and storing the bee cocoons. I even have my little vented box for storing in the fridge. I bought a bunch several years ago and they did not stay around long. I had the bee house and the clay and a lot of pollinators but they liked someone else better than me. Thanks
Other people may reject you but if you lie in the forest floor for long enough the moss and fungi will accept you as one of their own!
its everywhere around here . looks like reddish bamboo. has the segments like bamboo also. i grow patches of wildflowers that bloom all summer so i think that keeps them around.
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