Mason Bee Central is the first place that came up for me but I'm in BC, not sure your location. I think originally I bought them online from a supplier on Vancouver Island....

Thanks, I'm glad it was of some help.

Each female can fill 2-3 chambers or tubes. So if you get good hatches or increase your numbers over the year then yes. If you don't increase the capacity the bees will then just go out and look for other nesting sites, so no worries.

Sorry Rob, it's been a lot of years since I purchased everything so can't say clearly. The tubes were purchased at a local Wildbirds Unlimited that has since closed. I believe the liners from a place in Black Creek on Vancouver Island. But it was only a one time purchase as I switched to just making my own out of parchment paper.

Thanks Paul. I was referring to the colored blocks actually

@@rhw7879 oh okay, my answer would be the same though, 🤷‍♂️hahaha

@@paulsimpson9056 lol dang it. I wonder if they were made with a 3D printer?

@@rhw7879 not to my knowledge as I don't remember that in the product description. I have seen recently at some bee supply place they selling these still. I see "beediverse" for one has them. I'm in Southern BC Canada, so that may not help you....

Oh great, glad it helped someone else. Thank you!

Sounds great Ken, hope you have success with them!

Thanks and good luck!

All depends where you live.......I'm in Vancouver B.C.

Inside dia is aprox 1/4"

OO = 1:76

Thank you and totally agree!

Yeah Larry, you can roll up paper for any nest tube. I always do, as it means if there is no disease inside the nest tubes or damp you can reuse them and not have to break them open ruining a second or even third use. Bees prefer once used cells to brand new. Which is why they favour home made tubes as opposed to card I spose. I just use some brown paper I either get with parcels and iron them out or I bought a nice roll of thinner brown paper used by decorators in the diy shop, quite cheaply. Will last me years. Here's my video for your interest kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHmueqpmgtGFfqc

Thanks for watching and listening, LOL!

Thank you, I took this video with a Samsung Galaxy 6S.

Very nice. Still impressive quality even for today's standards.

Thanks again, I now have a Samsung Galaxy 8S, which I’ve used for a few videos. A number of the ones I uploaded were with a Sony FDR-AX53. I viewed your Walking tour of Crescent Beach and found it to be of excellent quality!

Oh really? Have you had any issues with the AX53?

No, why has it got a bad rep? I have not really even explored more than its basic functions. I really like the optical zoom and especially for taking pictures as it’s a waste of time even trying a zoom shot on my phone.

Diane, I reuse the tubes and so far have done that for five years. But I do shake out the tubes and then bake them in the oven at about 225F for an hour to make sure the pollen mites are dead.

@@paulsimpson9056 sounds good.... I'm a cheapskate, I don't mind buying them and making paper inserts...I just don't want to have to buy them every year... so much of this sort of thing seem overpriced to me for what they are they should be 5 cents each if you ask me. thanks again.

Diane Cadeau Totally agree! In the first two years I had an explosion of bees and was buying hundreds of these, quickly researched and came up with cheaper alternatives though!

Hi Steve, I see no reason the parchment would not work. The potential problem would be if you removed the parchment tubes prior to the egg/larvae/bee formation is completed (October ish) and pulled them as soon as they are full, you would run a risk of the larvae being dislodged or disturbed from the pollen/nectar ball its feeding on and being killed as the parchment is not rigid and tends to unroll itself. Also, it would likely mean you would need to disinfect the houses as the pollen mites would infest the wood block, whereas with a cardboard tube they wouldn't. (obviously only if your cardboard tubes were the style that had one end sealed) I have pulled my cardboard tubes when full and replaced them with empty ones in bumper years when I was running low on space in my houses. But its also a great way to keep your $ expenditure on bee houses to a minimum. In practice though I do pull them as soon as all my bees are died off (mid June) for the very reason you mentioned re predators. Care must be given in doing this though as to not dislodge the larvae, so I tip them back, so the tube opening is up. This ensures the larvae stays attached to pollen ball as its placed on the back mud wall of the cell. I then store them in my unheated garage, still vertical, until October when I process them and refrigerate til the Spring. I have put them in my garden shed in the past but found that predators still access them to some degree, so then wrapped them in mosquito netting the next year with better success. Now, I have found the garage to be the best as I don't need to wrap them. Hope this helps, regards, Paul

Wiccan Simmer the adult bees are fully formed but in a dormant state in the cocoons.

Thanks

Yes normal, but most main lines are set up for running in both directions if operationally required. Which is why you look both ways at an uncontrolled crossing as a pedestrian.never be complacent due to what you are used to, although there should be signs advising of the possibility of wrong way running. it is becoming more common too due to breakdowns of stupid steam excursion trains, although with the mandatory diesels required on the rear now, they can get the train moving so people in real trains stuck behind, who have a life, and need to be somewhere within a certain timeframe, are not held up by these polluting monstrosities known as steam locomotives. (Just a poor attempt at satire there by the way, settle down "puffer nutters")

munchkin5674 I’m not sure to be honest. I would say definitely no for overwintering but if just for egg laying then pull the insert for storage it sounds plausible. I’ve heard lots saying not to because the straws are impermeable and you need air exchange but for short term it may not have a negative effect?

Ray DeVous not sure what brand they are but I bought them at West Coast Seeds here in B.C. they cost $13.99 and came full of 6” tubes! (I attached the block of wood on the back for mounting).

karuna These are commercially made nest blocks I bought. Hadnt heard about staggering the holes before. These nest blocks seem very desirable as they always fill first. I do see how a rough surface is preferable as I have lots of the ones that are made from a type of plastic that separate in half for ease of harvesting. (Shown in this video also) I have clearly seen that the bees cannot cling to this surface anywhere near as easy as the wood ones. Thanks for your comment.

staggering them a tad apparently also helps them identify which hole they're looking for.

Ted Drossos thank you, I have forwarded your comment to the true owner. Regards, Paul

Jayne MacLean Thank you!

Jennifer Perry Thank you. Am just about to clean out my nesting boxes and wash the cocoons.....already excited for next Spring!

Aeroica Gaming, Yes, I witnessed a few of them die in the process of emerging. Guessing they were already in a weakened state while in their cocoons?

Yeah...I thought the same thing. I probably would have helped it but then you create generation of weak of bees

Backyard DIYforever Thank you!