rain rain
no activity
The clay gets fresh rainwater, so that is a plus.
Went to dinner and a show. While the show was very
entertaining the dinner was totally awesome.
Mason-bees are one of the groups of native bees.
When midsummer is in full swing, the most common bee in my yard are the bumblebees.
Of course, I do not provide endorsements about any website or anything else all rights reserved just like all other sites.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
April 2, day after April fools' day Ma Kettle gets a name
By 3pm condo-2 remains at 14 filled bee cocoon tubes.
Interestingly, one bee tube is nearly 1/2 in diameter. The bee has been working on it furiously for at least a week. I decided to name her Ma Kettle. She is noisy and really busy. Actually, she is nearly finished with the tube.
There are another 4 bees which are also very busy. I am surprised their nests are as yet not filled. I notice that when they return to their nests they typically return as a group. While they are supposed to be a "solitary bee", they do seem to have some limited social behaviors.
Interestingly, one bee tube is nearly 1/2 in diameter. The bee has been working on it furiously for at least a week. I decided to name her Ma Kettle. She is noisy and really busy. Actually, she is nearly finished with the tube.
There are another 4 bees which are also very busy. I am surprised their nests are as yet not filled. I notice that when they return to their nests they typically return as a group. While they are supposed to be a "solitary bee", they do seem to have some limited social behaviors.
Monday, April 1, 2019
April ...Fools'... Day
I will update the blog at about noon or so
At noontime, I noticed no new filled tubes.
I did have one bamboo tube which was filled last summer.
I kept it refrigerated until now. I put it out today.
I am worried that the humidity was not properly controlled but we will see if any bees emerge.
Last fall I did not take care to humidify the refrigerated cocoon tube. My mistake. Hopefully, it worked anyway.
================
3:00 pm
Condo-2 now has 12 filled nests. It appears that bees are utilizing all unfilled tubes so within a week or so I expect all the tubes to be filled. We have so many bees that when I stand in front of the condo-2 and watch the action, I typically see 3 bees entering tubes within a minute. Some of the tubes have been filled so far that I can frequently see the bee working in a tube (head in or head out).
As I said several days ago, one of the tubes on the left side is close to a half inch
in diameter. I observed a bee who is very busy on the half inch hole. Considering the total cubic volume, there should be a large number of cocoons when the bee is finished.
The condo-2 with the bamboo is by far the most active. Paper tubes have very little action. Routed out bee trays have very little action.
Finally, at 6pm There are 14 filled nests.
I wonder what the count will be at 6pm tomorrow?
Considering increases over the past few days,
the number ought to be 16 or 17 we will see
Today this blog exceeded 1,000 views for the first time.
Not a big deal (actually a very small deal)but it is a milestone.
At noontime, I noticed no new filled tubes.
I did have one bamboo tube which was filled last summer.
I kept it refrigerated until now. I put it out today.
I am worried that the humidity was not properly controlled but we will see if any bees emerge.
Last fall I did not take care to humidify the refrigerated cocoon tube. My mistake. Hopefully, it worked anyway.
================
3:00 pm
Condo-2 now has 12 filled nests. It appears that bees are utilizing all unfilled tubes so within a week or so I expect all the tubes to be filled. We have so many bees that when I stand in front of the condo-2 and watch the action, I typically see 3 bees entering tubes within a minute. Some of the tubes have been filled so far that I can frequently see the bee working in a tube (head in or head out).
As I said several days ago, one of the tubes on the left side is close to a half inch
in diameter. I observed a bee who is very busy on the half inch hole. Considering the total cubic volume, there should be a large number of cocoons when the bee is finished.
The condo-2 with the bamboo is by far the most active. Paper tubes have very little action. Routed out bee trays have very little action.
Finally, at 6pm There are 14 filled nests.
I wonder what the count will be at 6pm tomorrow?
Considering increases over the past few days,
the number ought to be 16 or 17 we will see
Today this blog exceeded 1,000 views for the first time.
Not a big deal (actually a very small deal)but it is a milestone.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
March 31, 2019 Mason Bee update
March 31
I checked the condos today at noon.
No new filled bamboo tubes.
However, lots of activity in Condo-2.
I notice some bees will go in head first and then come out of the tube
and back into the tube. Seems to me they are going to lay an egg when they
back in.
I have noticed the bee who uses the huge diameter hole, does so repeatedly.
She does not seem to be larger than the other bees but maybe she is simply
able to lay more eggs in such a large tube since each egg will take up less length.
Condo-1 continues to be extremely low activity.
As of 6:30 pm the completed cocoon tube count is at 11. in condo-2
It seems like there is a difference in color for several clay types in Condo-2.
A few are the same light color as the clay I mixed up. Most are dark brown clay.
I checked the condos today at noon.
No new filled bamboo tubes.
However, lots of activity in Condo-2.
I notice some bees will go in head first and then come out of the tube
and back into the tube. Seems to me they are going to lay an egg when they
back in.
I have noticed the bee who uses the huge diameter hole, does so repeatedly.
She does not seem to be larger than the other bees but maybe she is simply
able to lay more eggs in such a large tube since each egg will take up less length.
Condo-1 continues to be extremely low activity.
As of 6:30 pm the completed cocoon tube count is at 11. in condo-2
It seems like there is a difference in color for several clay types in Condo-2.
A few are the same light color as the clay I mixed up. Most are dark brown clay.
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