- Right now (April 2016), it is too late to start a mason bee colony this year. It would be best to wait until next year.
- Harvesting means taking the cocoons out of the tubes and keeping them in the refrigerator until there is pollen (in the spring). Taking the bees out of the tubes means that you can take out bad pests and bugs called mites:
How to harvest depending on nesting supplies
Wood trays- They are the easiest to clean and the best for the environment because they are reusable:
- Take the trays apart
- Gently scrape the cocoons off of the tray
- Store or clean the cocoons
Tubes- They are a little more difficult to harvest because you have to take the tube apart carefully to not hurt the cocoons.
bamboo
- cleaning cocoons
- storage, humidity,
- when to put out.
- more info at crown bees