I've been cultivating bee hotels in my garden for a couple of years now, which have become home to mason and leafcutter bees. They fill up pretty quickly, and at the end of autumn, I store them in the garage to protect them from the cold. When spring comes around, after the last frost, I put them back out for the bees to emerge.
Here's where I'm running into trouble: during the hatching and egg-laying season, I'm not sure how to manage the boxes effectively. I know I need to replace the tubes regularly to prevent diseases and parasites, but the timing is tricky since egg hatching and laying seem to overlap quite a bit. Once March and April hit, I notice bees buzzing around the boxes, but I'm confused—are these newly emerged bees looking for nesting spots, or are they from elsewhere? Some tubes seem to never hatch, either because of failed eggs or possibly because the bees plug them up to deter predators. It's already May, and while some bees are busy laying eggs, some tubes are still plugged.
I'm concerned about when to replace the tubes, as the early bees might lay in the old ones before the last ones hatch. I don't want to discard plugged tubes in case they contain late hatchers, nor do I want to dispose of tubes that bees are laying in. I'd really appreciate any advice! Thanks!
2 Answers
I totally get your dilemma! A good approach is to remove the old tubes carefully and set them on the ground beneath a bush or in a sheltered area. This way, the bees can still hatch and emerge from the tubes, but it won’t be as appealing for bees looking for new nesting spots since they prefer elevated, sunlit areas. Once you've done that, you can fill up your hotels or boxes with new tubes without disrupting the process too much. Good luck with your bee hotels!
Here's a useful link that might help you out! It has some solid tips on installing and maintaining native bee houses. You could find some strategies that apply directly to your situation: [Check it out here!](https://news.vt.edu/articles/2020/03/ext-entomologists-tips-for-installing-and-maintaining-native-bee-houses.html) Let me know what you think!