Top 10 Best Mason Bee Houses – Review And Buying Guide

Mason bees, like honey bees, have long been humans’ companions. Mason bees are calm and get along well with humans. These bees are a wonderful alternative for gardeners who want to boost the yield of their plants. They are simple to care for, and with the best mason bee houses, you can have a wonderful experience with these little beasts. Here is a list of top 10 best mason bee houses.

Product Image Product Name Editor's Rating Price
Woodlink Western Cedar Mason Bee House 4.9 See Latest Price
JCs Wildlife Double-Wide Poly Lumber 4.8 See Latest Price
Bambeco Mason Bee Barn 4.8 See Latest Price
JCs Wildlife Small Poly Lumber Bee House 4.7 See Latest Price
Woodlink 28551 Cedar Mason Bee House 4.6 See Latest Price

Some characteristics of Mason bees

Mason bees do not make honey or wax. The Varroa and Acarine mites that attack honey bees do not affect them. They are increasingly being bred for pollination in fruit and nut production.

In the United States, the mason bee is well-known for its unique metallic blue or blue-black color. It is a species of native bee that is smaller in size than the honey bee. There is also the red mason bee, which resembles the honeybee in appearance. Mason bees, which number around 140 species in North America and all live in solitary settings, are substantially different from honey bees. A female mason bee stings only when she feels she will be in danger.

Where can you buy mason bees?

There are two methods for obtaining mason bees: build a bee house and wait for them to come, or buy mason bee cocoons. Mason bee cocoons are usually purchased online. There are several websites that sell various sorts of mason bee cocoons. Crown Bees, a well-known retailer of mason bees, comes highly recommended. You may easily select a shipping date for your mason bee cocoons on their website. They suggest selecting a date two weeks before your first fruit tree is due to bloom.

Top 10 Best Mason Bee Houses

Because mason bees prefer to build their nests close to one other, select a great bee house that allows for this. With that said, keep reading to see our top selections for the best mason bee housing.

Woodlink Western Cedar Mason Bee House with Replaceable Tubes

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This mason bee house is ideal for both novice and professional beekeepers. It is designed to be positioned beneath the beekeeper’s house’s roof or eaves. It can also creep through your garden shed’s roof. When the time comes to harvest the cocoon from this building bee housing, opening it and removing the cocoon is a breeze.

This mason bee house has a simple yet efficient design. It consists of a diamond-shaped bee house with a shattered roof that is fixed on a wooden base.The tubes are made of fiberboard and are fastened together with plastic sheets. This combination of materials makes the bee house sturdy, long-lasting, and highly effective. It attracts mason bees but does not bother them throughout their visit.

JCs Wildlife Double-Wide Poly Lumber and Pine Mason Bee House

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This mason bee house has a sloping roof, two slanted sides, and a locking block. Waterproof poly wood makes up the entire roof, side panels and bottom panel. It keeps the inside of the mason bee house dry even when the weather would otherwise make it damp. The distance between the body and the ceiling of this bee housing allows for body insulation from sunlight.

JCs Wildlife also includes a well-written and informative instruction booklet with your order. It makes the mason bee house simple to use and appropriate for both novice and professional beekeepers.

Bambeco Mason Bee Barn

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If you are looking for a somewhat larger alternative to provide your mason bees with a more comfortable and spacious house, Bambeco can be the correct choice for you. This one is created entirely of natural materials, which means it will not endanger the bees’ health.

Some significant characteristics are 5.5-inch-deep, long-enough tunnels in the heart of the house. Its adorable design will enhance the appearance of your garden or orchard. This bamboo house is bee-friendly, safe, and healthful. The worker hive can be utilized for a long time due to the use of sturdy materials. Because the bee tube trays are stackable, they are simple to put anywhere in your yard.

JCs Wildlife Small Poly Lumber Bee House

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The bee house has eight moveable panels and is multi-tiered. The panels are constructed of charred pine wood, which is both appealing and pleasant for mason bees. There is also a locking device at the bottom to keep the tiered panels from slipping off. The block is simple to install and remove, and it is screwed to the bee house.

Some of the elements of this mason bee house are manufactured from recycled poly-lumber. Because the material is sturdy and long-lasting, the bee house can withstand minor roughhousing. With every order from JCs Wildlife, you will receive an instruction sheet. As a result, you can easily put it together and utilize it. You don’t need any specialized equipment to do the task.

Woodlink 28551 Cedar Mason Bee House

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The Woodlink 28551 is huge and can accommodate a large number of mason bees at once. AWood is the main material that creates all sides of the mason bee house. The panels that make up the sides and top of the bee house are thick enough to keep water out. They may absorb some water, but they cannot allow water to pass through to mason bee eggs, stored food, or cocoons.

The bee house is a simple rectangular building. This design can help hangs on the wall or beneath the eaves. The beehive has a flat back that allows it to lie against the wall. This design makes it easy to remove heavy hard trays from the front panel. This also makes it easier to collect worker bee cocoons.

The thick cedar wood used in the construction of this mason bee housing. This is natural wood that attracts mason bees and is beneficial to a variety of bees. The mason bee house also has hinges, which make it easy to open and close the house whenever you need to.

Crown Bees Spring House and Wood Tray Sets for Mason Bees

The complete spring house includes a Mason bee house as well as the tray sets used in it. You can use all the tray sets at once, or add them one at a time. You can use a set of wooden trays to complement your existing wooden house and Mason Bee tower. They are flattened and can carry a lot of Mason bee tubes.

They are constructed with a peaked roof. It is a timeless and aesthetically beautiful design for mason bee houses. The finest Northwest cedar is the main ingredient that makes up this type of apiary. This mason bee house has a keyhole at the back for easy installation at your chosen spot.

It is crucial to note that the trays in this kit are designed to hold bee tubes with a diameter of around 8 mm. Mason bee nesting room is provided by the kit’s chalet bee house, which measures 10 inches high, 10 inches wide, and 9 inches long.

Crown Bees Spring and Summer Wild Bee Motel

It is a mason bee house in the shape of a hut. This mason bee house is ideal for solitary native bees such as mason bees, leafcutter bees, and leafcutter bees. The natural reeds and bee tubes used in the Spring and Summer wild bee resort give the genuine nesting room.

It includes 20 bee tubes with a bore diameter of 4 mm, 25 bee tubes with a bore diameter of 6 mm, 25 bee tubes with a bore diameter of 8 mm, and 20 natural reeds with a diameter of 6 mm. There are also 25 natural reeds of 8 mm diameter included. With the purchase of the mason bee house, you will additionally receive two solid boards for space modification.

The wild bee motel comes with an instruction booklet for use during setup and installation of the mason bee home in the spring and summer. The bee motel is 9 inches long, 10 inches broad, and 10 inches tall.

Crown Bees Spring and Summer Solitary Bee Hotel

This mason bee house uses tower bee house design. It stands 14 inches tall and 10 inches broad. It measures around 9 inches in length. The mason bee house is sold by the maker along with some InvitaBee pheromone attractants. They are useful for attracting the first inhabitants of your mason bee house.

When you purchase the bee house, you will receive 30 bee tubes of 4 mm diameter, 30 tubes of 6 mm diameter, and 30 tubes of 8 mm diameter. There are also two sturdy hardwood boards included. The item you receive includes a very simply written and extensive instructions leaflet. It is useful for setting up the mason bee motel and installing it in your desired spot.

Crown Bees Chalet Bee House

Wood is the main material to create this simple mason bee house. There is a huge main compartment and a smaller triangular compartment in the bee house. With this attractive and classic bee house in your yard, you may grow mason bees and other solitary bees.

This mason bee house makes excellent use of available space. The Chalet Bee House utilizes the triangular attic space beneath the roof as the cocoon release location. It effectively preserves the mason bee cocoons until the mason bees emerge from the cocoons. The slanted gabled roof of this mason bee house keeps the entire bee house dry even in heavy rain.

The Chalet Bee House’s spacious size can accommodate up to 120 bee tubes. It is also compatible with the large single bee nesting wood trays. The bee house stands 10 inches tall, with a width of 10 inches, and a length of 9 inches.

Crown Bees Cabin Bee House

The Cabin Bee House is a mason bee house that is brown and turquoise in color. Its sides, roof, and floor are all composed of Paulownia wood. As a result, the cabin bee housing is both sturdy and light. It has a gabled roof with a high apex and six divisions for different mason bee raising purposes. This bee house’s sloping roof keeps your mason bees and their cocoons dry at all times. Even if it rains heavily, no water will enter the main area of the mason bee house and damp it.

The twin-attic mason bee hatchery drawers at the bee home’s topmost top are notable elements of this cabin bee house. These are excellent for protecting your mason bee cocoons until the mason bees are ready to emerge on their own.

>>> View more: The best honey extractors are the icing on the cake for any beekeepers

FAQ

Q1: When to install a mason bee house?

Beginning mason beekeepers should have their mason bee house ready for spring. They should also purchase and prepare cocoons. Place the cocoons in the bee house or mason bee nest you’re using as spring progresses and flowers bloom. You need to defrost the cold bee cocoons. Spring sunshine will keep them warmer and will continue to grow. Mason beekeeping relies heavily on timing. If you miss spring, particularly if you use refrigerated cocoons, your mason bee population may suffer.

Q2: Where to place a mason bee house?

Mason bee houses should be a few feet off the ground. Ideally, this should be 6-7 feet above the ground. Beekeepers keep mason bees frequently place the mason bee house beneath the eaves of their garages, sheds, or houses. It is ideal to position your mason bee house with its back to a flat surface. This closes one end of the tubes and only allows access from one side. You should also prioritize placing the bee house in an area that receives a lot of sunlight and warmth.

Conclusion

Mason bees are well-known for their beneficial pollination of plants and flowers. They are also less aggressive than honey bees and are easier to control. You can attract and retain these useful bees in your garden or backyard with the best mason bee housing.

Every year, they serve a significant role in providing a colony of pollinators in their habitats. You can use these mason bee houses to keep mason bees in both rural and urban areas.