Daytime Gardeners of North Haven Mason Bee Project:

The Daytime Gardeners Mason Bee project is producing results. Participants who built the bee houses received a follow-up questionnaire to collect data on results at this point. Participants were asked where the houses were installed, proximity to fruit trees or flowering plants, activity observed, presence of egg cells, and number of tubes used. Of the responses received, 90% reported egg cells were built in the tubes. Some houses had as many as 20 tubes used in one house while some reported only 2 tubes were filled.

The mason bees will develop within the cells through the summer and mature into young adults that hibernate in the houses until warm temperatures stimulate their emergence in the spring.

Participants also added comments to share their experiences. One participant stated “I am like a little kid with a new toy. So excited when I saw the first couple of tubes completely packed in the house.” Another said, “It’s been quite enjoyable having these little friends find a home in our backyard.” Another was “…very surprised to see activity within a couple of weeks.”

Not all of the houses installed have attracted the little bees, but a variety of factors, such as weather, food supply, and environment, impact on these super pollinators. If houses were not utilized this year, the mason bees may discover them next spring.

The Daytime Gardeners will continue to monitor the bee activity and hope to see an increase in the number of these houses being used by the bees. The Daytime Gardeners of North Haven is a member of the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut.