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I hang nesting blocks to attract native orchard mason bees so they will pollinate my fruit trees. When do I clean out the holes in the blocks so that the bees can lay eggs again?
"The time between when the bees emerge and when the females begin to lay eggs again is very short, so there is no perfect time to clean the blocks," says Mace Vaughan, entomologist at the Xerces Society, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to protecting invertebrates such as bees. "Cleaning the nesting blocks is not essential and inevitably kills some adults or eggs." Clean the blocks only if you think pathogens and parasites are building up in the nesting holes. Here's what to do when they must be cleaned:
Replace the nesting blocks every two or three years, or rotate between sets of blocks. In spring, after most of the adults emerge, remove the old block and hang a new or clean one immediately. Clean the used block by pouring a weak bleach solution into each hole and then spraying a high-powered jet of water into the hole to wash out the bleach solution and mud.
Or place paper nesting straws in the holes. The straws act as liners and can be replaced each season. To order, contact Knox Cellars (360-733-3283; knoxcellars.com).
