Mason Bee Supplies and Pollinators

Please note that all of information provided on our website about our products is meant to be informative only. For more information regarding prices and shipping (within Canada only) please visit our store in Barrie (515 Bryne Drive, Barrie, ON), phone us (705) 726-7600, or send us an email [email protected].

Mason Bee MaleDid you know that no amount of fertilizer or water will produce abundant flowers and vegetables without pollination? For pollination, you need bees. We must have bees to help pollinate our crops, plants, and trees. 75-80% of all plans and trees require pollination from insects. The sad news is that our pollinators are in trouble! The use of harsh pesticides, mites, fungi, and habitat loss is believed to have resulted in declines in our pollinators including many species of bees. Planting native plants, installing bee houses, and providing our pollinators with healthy habitats will all assist in helping our bees.

WBU Barrie is proud to offer the following products to help these precious pollinators.

Several species of bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects will also use houses. The sight of these little colourful gems in the backyard is a welcome sight by gardeners and nature enthusiasts. Attracting bees and butterflies into your yard is a great way to pollinate the plants in your garden, enhancing flowers and vegetables. Using bee and butterfly houses also helps to increase the biodiversity in your neighborhood.

Mason Bee Cocoon Reservations for Spring 2024

2024 Pricing for Mason Bees- Please note pricing is not yet finalized this will be determined in 2024

  • 1 Box of 10 Cocoons $21.99 + HST
  • $25 + HST shipped Xpresspost (Canada Post)- 3-4 business days (please click on the below link to read all the terms and conditions for shipped orders)

Mason Bee Ordering

Deadlines for:

  • In Store Pick Up Orders Must Be Placed before February 1, 2024
  • Shipping Orders Must Be Placed Before March 11, 2024

Please note this form will stop accepting requests on March 11th. If you wish to purchase Mason Bees after March 11th please contact WBU Barrie ([email protected]) or WBU Newmarket ([email protected]) by email. 

Live Mason Bee Cocoons

Blue Orchard Mason Bees CocoonsWBU Barrie is proud to now offer Blue Orchard Mason Bee cocoons. This species is commonly found in North America and can be released in your garden to successfully pollinate your flowers, trees, shrubs, as well as fruits and vegetables. Pollen bee cocoons should be released when conditions are optimal, when daytime temperatures have reached about 10-13°C (50-55°F) or 10% of spring blooms are happening. The pollen bee cocoons must be protected until they hatch or they risk predation and illness. They will need some type of emergence chamber to protect them. Emergence chambers can be purchased from WBU Barrie (see our description below) or can be made at home. Set emergence chambers on a shelf away from predators and close to a pollen bee nest. Female bees will return to the area they hatched to lay their eggs and having a pollen bee nest available to them will ensure the bees continue to flourish in your area.

There are 10 Blue Orchard Mason Bees cocoons per package. Blue Orchard Mason Bee cocoons must be placed outdoors no later than June 1 (we recommend releasing them by May 1, conditions permitting) to complete their life cycle.

Mason Bee Cocoons are a seasonal product and are only available from mid April until mid May. 

Please click here to download our Mason Bee Info and Care Sheet.

Made in Canada. 

Solitary Bee Houses and Accessories  

Small Mason Bee Heavy Duty Mason Bee HouseSmall Mason Bee Heavy Duty Cedar Mason Bee House: Add more valuable bee pollinators to your garden with this Small Mason Bee Heavy Duty Mason Bee House. It is made from cedar, a sustainable resource that will last many seasons. Inside this Mason Bee House accommodates just under 100 single use cardboard harvesting tubes (see description below). This house is ideal for someone new to the world of Mason Bees and allows for the easy harvesting of Mason Bee Cocoons in the fall. With the included mounting hardware, it is easy to hang this beautiful house on a wall, a shed, or other building. Then sit back and watch these busy native pollinators at work in your yard or garden. An overhang at the opening protects the bees from rain, wind, and hot sun. The Small Heavy Duty Cedar Mason Bee House is suitable for small gardens and balcony gardens. Includes nesting tubes.

Outside dimensions: 22 x 27 x 9 cm or 15 x 10 x 6 Inches

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Diamond Cedar Mason Bee HouseDiamond Western Cedar Mason Bee Shelter: Add more valuable bee pollinators to your garden with the Diamond Western Cedar Mason Bee Shelter. It is made from cedar, a sustainable resource that will last many seasons. Inside the Shelter accommodates 70-80 single use cardboard harvesting tubes (see description below). This house is ideal for someone new to the world of Mason Bees and allows for the easy harvesting of Mason Bee Cocoons in the fall. With the included mounting hardware, it is easy to hang this beautiful house on a wall, a shed, or other building. Then sit back and watch these busy native pollinators at work in your yard or garden. An overhang at the opening protects the bees from rain, wind, and hot sun. The Diamond Western Cedar Mason Bee Shelter is suitable for small gardens and balcony gardens. Includes nesting tubes.

Outside dimensions: 22 x 23 x 17 cm or 15 x 9 x 6.5 Inches

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Wild Bee ChaletWild Bee Chalet: Support wild pollinators by adding nesting habitats to your yard. Provide missing habitat for these awesome pollinating bees with a variety of nesting hole sizes and nesting materials. Wild bees come in a variety of sizes and need a nesting hole that is just the right size for them. The Wild Bee Chalet can either be hung or sat on any flat surface, preferably east facing to benefit from early morning sun. It can be easily mounted to a wall or secure structure using a nail or screw and then insert into the keyhole in back of Chalet. Suggested height to hang your Chalet would be between 5-7 feet. Locate the Chalet within 100 - 300 ft. of their pollen source. 

Outside Dimensions: 10 1/4" H x 10" W x 8 1/2" D

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Wild Bee StationNative Bee Station: The Native Bee Station provides healthy nesting habitat for native hole-nesting bees. In the early spring, install in an easy to find location protected from the wind. Place near a variety of flower sources and in a natural environment relatively free of pesticides and lawn care chemicals. Mount the Native Bee Station at eye-level, about 5ft (1.5m) on a secure surface near flowers that faces the morning sun. Made from cedar sourced from Canadian First Nations forests with strict sustainable standards. Comes with 30 Natural Reeds 8mm and 30 Natural Reeds 6mm. 

Outside dimensions: 5.5  x 5.5  x 10  Inches

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1-Door Viewing House1-Door Viewing House: What a beauty! Want an easy way of seeing what the bees are doing inside the nest? The 1-Door Viewing House makes it clear what is happening inside each nesting tunnel on a daily basis. The bees love it! Made for both the larger spring mason bees, but also the smaller summer solitary bees. Set out in a sheltered shelf, inside a tote works best. East facing, out of the rain, and in the sun. This bee home with all its special features has been carefully constructed to last for many years. Screws holding plexiglass can be removed to harvest cocoons and clean nesting tunnels. Look and see what the young bees were up to at the end of June. Made in Canada. 

Dimensions (Including Roof): 29 cm x 26.5 cm x 11.5 cm (11.4” x 10.4” x 4.5” inches)

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Humidibee Cocoon Storage - TallHumidiBee™ Bee Cocoon Humidifier: The HumidiBee™ Bee Cocoon Humidifier is great for winter storage of your harvested spring mason bee cocoons. Stores easily in the refrigerator, providing an ideal hibernation environment in your fridge set at 1C (34F). The moisture absorbing pad ensures a humidity balance of 60-70%. Without this moisture, mason bee cocoons have a tendency to dry out in modern low-humidity, frost-free refrigerators. This helps keep your bees safe and healthy for release the following spring.

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Invitabee Plus AttractantInvitaBee™ Plus+ Mason Bee Attractant: InvitaBee Plus+ Mason Bee Attractant significantly helps to attract mason bees to your nesting material through the stimulation of two powerful senses - sight and smell. The Mason bees favourite nesting choice are natural lake bed reeds, which adds the visual attractant. The InvitaBee™ Plus+ Mason Bee Attractant is suitable for inviting all mason bees in the Osmia species to your bee house. Prior to releasing mason bees or when you are looking to attract wild mason bees, spray InvitaBee Plus+ a few times onto the front of your nesting holes. Wait a few minutes before placing out mason bee cocoons. For reusable wood trays, natural lake reeds can be placed on top of or next to wood trays.

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Mason Bee Cardboard Tubes with InsertsSpring Cardboard BeeTubes and Inserts for Mason Bees: BeeTubes combined with Easy-Tear Inserts give an extra layer of protection against parasitic wasps. BeeTubes are made from 100% recyclable paper. No plastics that trap moisture or create unnecessary waste. These 8mm holes are the preferred size for spring mason bees and are also great for summer beneficial wasps that hunt garden pests. The inside diameter of a BeeTube is 8mm (5/16"). With a length of 6", while the inserts are 6-1/8" long, making removal from BeeTube a breeze.

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Mason Bee Natural ReedsSpring Natural Reeds for Mason Bees: Join us in saving our bees & the world's food supply, one garden at a time. These Natural Reeds are hand-harvested and spring mason bees' favourite nesting material! To open Natural Reeds at harvest time, simply pinch the large open end, causing a split to form. Pull the split end of the reed apart.

Icon - Bluebird Available in different sizes to meet the needs of different native bee species, contact us to order.

 

 

 

Wild Bee Nesting Tube MixWild Bee Nesting Tube Mix for Native Bees: Attract more bees to your yard with our Wild Bee Nesting Tube Mix. A combination of our Natural Reeds and BeeTubes combined with Easy-Tear Inserts, this mix has something for every bee in your yard. Join us in saving our bees & the world's food supply, one garden at a time. These 8mm reeds are the preferred size for spring mason bees and are also great for summer beneficial wasps that hunt garden pests. Both come apart easily at the end of the season to allow you to harvest your cocoons. 

Icon - Bluebird Contact the store to inquire about mixed tubes for native bees.

 

 

 

Mason Bee Mud BoxMason Bee Mud Box: The mason bee protects each nesting chamber with clayey mud. Without a source of moist clayey mud nearby, mason bees will fly away! It can be a struggle to maintain the correct moisture content of the clay, but the Mason Bee Mud Box solves this challenge with capillary action! Water stored below the mud takes an elevator ride up the black cloth, runs horizontally under the clay allowing the clay to wick up the right amount of moisture. Depending on weather conditions, the water level in the storage bin may last one to two weeks before refilling is required. Includes Mason Bee Mud Mix! To use; simply open the top of the bag of Mason Bee Mud Mix and add water, kneading the mixture within the bag until it has the consistency of dough. Roll the mud into a 1" thick log. Place Mud Box within an 8m (25’) radius of your mason bee house, in an easily seen area with partial shade.

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Mason Bee Mud MixSpring Mason Bee Mud Mix: Spring mason bees use moist clayey mud to protect each nesting chamber. The female mason bee is very picky when selecting mud. She prefers clayey mud, not just clay or wet dirt. Our Mason Bee Mud Mix packs well and retains water for stickiness. Ensure that your yard provides a clayey mud source. Using a trowel or shovel, open a small hole in your soil and wet it to check for consistency. If it does not stick together when wet and pinched, add Mason Bee Mud Mix to the hole in the soil; or pair with the Mason Bee Mud Box for a set it and forget it solution! 7oz. of dry clayey mud that is perfect for your nesting mason bees. Beneficial for gardeners with sandy or loamy soil.

Weight: 7 oz. of clay.

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Book - Native Bee GuideNative Bee Guide: Native Bee Guide Second Edition: Grow More Food and Flowers - is a step by step guide on how to raise solitary, hive-less bees, and optimize your garden's potential. Learn how to raise & harvest native bees; why native bees are gentle and non-aggressive; You will get to know spring mason, summer leafcutter, and wild hole-nesting bees: learn why native bees are gentle and non-aggressive; how to get more food & flowers from increased pollination; time tables for raising mason, leafcutter, and wild bees and much more! Easy to read, this 26-page booklet is a quick reference guide to help gardeners be successful raising spring, summer, and wild bees.

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Armstrong and Blackbury Pollen Bee Nest:Armstrong and Blackbury Pollen Bee Nest: Did you know that no amount of fertilizer or water will produce abundant flowers and vegetables, without pollination? For pollination, you need bees. Armstrong and Blackbury Pollen Bee Nest has been developed to attract a variety of wild pollen bees to your garden and vastly improve pollination of your plants. The proprietary granular volcanic rock filler prevents moisture from destroying the nests and developing bees. The filler, and excellent insulator, allows bees to overwinter inside the nest. This scientifically-designed nest eliminates most problems associated with natural or wooden man-made nests. The nest can be left in place year round, only needing an annual cleaning. Armstrong and Blackbury Pollen Bee Nest can produce 100 to 150 pollinating bees per year. This pollen bee home is proudly made in Canada. 

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Armstrong and Blackbury Pollen Bee Nest:Help your garden and the environment this spring! The scientifically designed Pollen Bee Nest is more effective than natural or wooden man-made bee nests at providing a truly protective nesting place for native solitary pollen bees. This nest has been developed to attract a wide variety of these gentle pollinators to your garden. The nest tube sizes, the proprietary volcanic rock filler, the specific color and pattern on the outer nest housing – all are the result of extensive research and testing. Inexpensive Solitary Pollen Bee Nests will improve your garden and the environment by supporting the natural life cycle of native solitary pollen bees.

 

Armstrong and Blackbury Pollen Bee Nest Emergence ChamberArmstrong and Blackbury Pollen Bee Nest Emergence Chamber: The Armstrong and Blackbury Pollen Bee Nest Emergence Chamber is a dark box/cover with a small hole at the bottom that fits neatly onto our nest. It allows the new bees to emerge from the nest but does not allow them to return. Once all the bees have emerged out of the chamber, the tubes will be empty and ready to clean. Armstrong and Blackbury Pollen Bee Nest were designed to be mainly maintenance free but, over time, debris and mites can build up in the nest tubes. An Armstrong and Blackbury Pollen Bee Nest Emergence Chamber makes the nests easier to clean and allows you to further help out the pollen bees. TIP: Newly emerged bees will begin looking for a nesting site almost immediately. Placing a new (or previously cleaned) Bee Nest near the one covered by the Emergence Chamber will allow the emerging bees to find a new home right away.

  

 

 

 

At the end of a season, when all the tubes have been filled or activity has died down, slide the Emergence Chamber over the end of the nest. Leave over the winter and Armstrong and Blackbury Pollen Bee Nest Emergence Chamberthe new bees will emerge 12 months after they were laid the previous year. If you use the nest log provided to note when the tubes were filled, you will know when the new bees will be ready to emerge, leaving the Bee Nest empty and ready to clean. Once you think all the tubes are empty, remove the Nest and Emergence Chamber and take somewhere suitable for cleaning. (If you leave the nest in place to clean, you may find new bees trying to use it before it is clean and dry!)

 

Cleaning the nest requires reaming out each tube with an appropriate sized drill bit. Blow out the debris with an air hose or a gravy baster. Using a pipe cleaner dipped in a bleach solution of one tablespoon of bleach to 8 Oz. of water, lightly dampen the inside of each tube, being careful not to get them too wet. Allow at least two hours drying time or longer. Once dry, use a pipe cleaner dipped in the proprietary miticide powder to apply a light coating to the inside of each tube. Remove any loose powder by giving a final blast from the gravy baster and the nest is ready for reuse.

Contents of the Emergence Chamber Kit:

  • 1 Emergence Chamber
  • 4 Pipe Cleaners (of difference diameters for cleaning out the chambers)
  • 1 Package of miticide
  • 1 New Decal for the original nest exterior
  • 1 Strip of 20 Bee Dots to cover the tubes
  • 1 Detailed instructions about the Emergence Chamber
  • 1 Nest Log

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Organic Miticide

Organic Miticide: Organic Miticide in a powdered form can be used to clean out bee houses and rid them of mites which parasitize the bees. It is particularly helpful for bee houses that cannot be cleaned with bleach and water or where tubes cannot be replaced. Before using Organic Miticide make sure there are no bee eggs, larva or cocoons in the house. To help ensure this it is helpful to rotate bee houses through a 1-year cycle. Made in Canada. 

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Bird Care Nectar BrushWBU Bird Care Nectar Brush: Our WBU Bird Care Nectar Brush is designed to clean hummingbird and other similar feeders. This high-quality brush will reach those hard to clean areas at the top and bottom. It will fit into small neck bottles and the bristles are firm but flexible. The WBU Bird Care Nectar Brush is 14” in length and contains two brush heads. This brush is ideal for cleaning WBU Seed Tube Feeders, WBU Finch Feeders, WBU Hummingbird Feeders and WBU Oriole Feeders.

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Bird Care Nectar Port BrushWBU Bird Care Nectar Port Brush: The WBU Bird Care Nectar Port Brush is designed to clean 3/32"- ¼" diameter hummingbird or oriole feeder ports, bee guards, and can be used for many other small areas. You can use this brush to clean your bee houses too!