Hi @RyanFox85 ! They're so cute I know!!! Being able to see them working is truely a blessing, vary rare sighting as they move so fast! All you'll see are the holes in leaves they leave behind, many people have no idea how that damage happened but I'm glad I was able to explain it in my video so share awareness. I hope you continue to support those cuties as they're extremely beneficial to your garden, consider it a blessing to see them nest around your home! Please take care of them for me and I'll bee your friend forever and give you a hive five :D :D :D Thank you so much for supporting my channel!

@@UmamiGarden 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 your response made me giggle! The bees will always have a home in my garden! I have lots of early bloomers for the first bees to warm up in spring! Some have even bloomed thru the last inch of snow, when we get milder than usual temps. Cutter bees are now one of my favorite bees. They make me smile when i see them flying around with the greenery! Is there anything you recommend doing, or not doing, to keep happy in my garden and lawn?

Hi @RyanFox85 ! Continue practicing organic gardening and avoid anything that involves contaminating your soil or plants. It's perfectly normal to see pests, in fact it's good to see them because it means there's food for predators. The best thing to do to encourage solitary bee population is setup a small fountain to provide them water and place several nesting tubes at each corner of your home as this will let them know they're safe to nest without fear. Your bee population increase exponentially - contingent on resources! Goodluck and provide an update!

First year raising them. Now that I have a well established home orchard so they have plenty of trees, bushes, and flowers to feed. There's a bee hotel near the fountain and a pile of clay. I was worried they would not stay, but looks like they are filling the tubes. I have birds but I have netted the opening of the bee hotel with chicken wire so the birds can't get to them. :D.

@@Rinsuki Any reading or videos you would recommend?

Hi Dylan Bartholomew! Your consideration in landscape is greatly appreciated! The thought of you building around the ecosystem and supporting the local inhabitants is truly desired! While I do hear some unfortunate stories of large 50 year old trees being cut down, it breaks my heart. I'm very glad to hear you share the same care and respect I have for the animal kingdom around us, there is a balance. Thank you so much for supporting my channel and your thoughtful response!

Hi Addam, That's a great idea! Has this been tested? Would they bee-have differently with the introduction of paper inserts to compliment the bamboo reeds? Thanks for your support!

@@UmamiGarden Was that a bee pun or are you just pollen my leg? I am going to set one of these awesome houses up very soon, will do a 50-50 split between the original method you showed and the one I propose and try to document it at least 1/5th as well as you have.

Hahahaha that’s a good one, hive never felt this way about bees before. It also appears you’re in a different climate? Our season is over, spring is about 6 months away. I’ll try half and half as well to see how they respond. Thanks for the advice! Swarm wishes!

Hi Ryan, You're the best! I'm glad to hear you've enjoyed the videos, I hope all my future videos have the same effect! Blow up, you mean my channel will go boom? :D :D :D 🤣😂🤣 Thank you so much for showing the love and support!

same

Hahaha I know right! :D :D :D

Hi @slimeinabox ! She means the world to me! Took a lot of training and patience to get her to understand what I approve and disapprove - There are still instincts you cannot change but she is very well behaved! Thank you for your kind words and support for my growing channel!

Hi @thebattlebee! I'm very pleased to hear this, I'm also glad it has added value! Thank you so much for your support!

Hi, No, thank you for visiting and supporting my channel! Your channel is also very interesting and positive - Keep up the great work and please let me know how I can help another fellow gardener! Thank you so much! :D :D :D

@@UmamiGarden thank you for taking a peek at my channel too - I so appreciate it! Looking forward to learning more from you and your channel too! 💚

Hi JS, Thank you so much for taking the time to type out this thoughtful response. I'll slow down a bit, I tend to get excited when I explain things I'm deeply passionate about! It pains me to hear that the bee population has declined even outside of my demographics. One thing you can do is plant flowers or fruit trees, this will encourage bee activity in addition to other beneficial pollinators. Honey bees will be attracted to any flower in your garden, avoid using anything that may harm pollinators, fungicide, soapy water, neem oil, pesticides and bird feeders. My routine to release the mason bees is usually 1-2 weeks after spring, this prevents them from being devoured by birds, also gives them time to look for a mate, nest and collect pollen from spring flowers. After 3 weeks of consistent spring weather, you can release the remaining bees or wait until a week before spring. I also noticed you've adopted several leaf cutter bees as well! They too can be released simultaneously, but make sure there are enough plants around for leaf cutter bees to nest or they'll migrate elsewhere until they're comfortable. The most import part of solitary bees is to keep water source in a neutral area. A small bowl with rocks, small pond or fountain shall suffice. Without water, the bees will not stay long. I hope this information answers all your questions, if not please let me know how I can help you help the bees, help us! Thank you so much for your support!

@@UmamiGarden Thank you for the tip about providing water for the bees. I will keep that in mind.

Hi 눈_눈Paimon! It did! Well, my heart exploded with joy reading your comment!

Hello again Gaia Carney! I believe you're referring to Agapostemon (Sweat Bees) they're also solitary bees and live in the ground! They're very pretty and are very fun to watch, exceptional pollinators! There aren't many in my area, so documenting them could be quite a challenge. Consider yourself very lucky! I've only seen one and before I could pull out my camera they were gone :( Many bees are attracted to bright yellow or white flowers, thank you for providing them the feed they desperately need. Remember, no pesticides! Thank you again for supporting my channel!

@@UmamiGarden thanks for info on ‘my’ mystery bee 🌸 it’s dreadful that anyone sprays chemicals, don’t they care about their cats or birds or squirrels or bees or spiders or worms or snails 🐌??

Hi Gaia, You're very welcome! The chemicals found in department stores wreck havoc on all life forms, air, land and water. It has the potential to turn lush rich soil into a barren wasteland. Encourage others to practice organic gardening so we can continue to see all forms of life thrive. Hope you had a great weekend!

Wow, thanks! :D :D :D I guess you can call it NBG, National Backyard Geographics :D Perhaps I should dedicate a channel? Thank you so much for supporting my backyard channel! :D

Hi @Argent911 ! I too love stumbling on random things too! Solitary bees are so precious and very fun to be around as they're not aggressive at all and very social! Please let me know how I can help you succeed, we need more solitary bees friends! Thank you so much for suporting my channel!

Hi! It is I who should be thanking for supporting my channel! Definitely hard work but I really enjoy the production :) I'll be more than happy to answer all your great questions. As long as you continue to welcome bees to your garden! Q1. Why do you harvest the bees versus leaving them in the tubes? A. Leaving the bees in their cocoons causes issues such as predators, infestation of parasites and mother nature. By harvesting the cocoons and cleaning them, we ensure the high survival rate and low mortality rate. Bees sometime struggle to emerge from the very end of the tubes. This is caused by a lifeless bee or larva obstructing the narrow path. You're also cleaning up the used shelter and allowing it to be reused for the next season! Q2. Are these traditional cocoons or are they embryos? A. These cocoons should be harvested in the fall, when the cocoons are developed. I. Mason Bee Lifecyle, Egg, Larva, Pupae, Adult Bee II. Egg - Spring III. Larva - Summer IV. Pupae- Fall V. Adult Bee - Winter VI. Release in Spring Q3. Do the solitary bees begin breeding as soon as they’re born? A. As a matter of fact, yes! The mason bees are in their adult stage when they emerge. Males emerge first searching for a mate, they'll live for 2-3 weeks. Females expand to 4-5 weeks, doing the heavy lifting and giving birth. When females will start nesting when they're ready to lay eggs. Q4. I’m assuming traditional hive bees do not procreate such as worker bees, but do all of the solitary bees able to procreate? A. Solitary bees procreate as long as there's a female and a male bee. Solitary bees do not belong to a colony, they're individual contributors that work for themselves, sometimes their neighbors. Each female will produce their own brood. Q5. The pods can sustain cold through hibernation? A. Yes! Surprisingly, leaves, mud or anything you find in mother nature can survive several seasons in the natural elements without issues. As long as the shelter is protected from frost, rain and wind, the capsules/cocoons/pods are perfectly safe. Since the weather tends to change in a blink of an eye, it's recommended that we harvest and store the cocoons in the refrigerator to overwinter for the best survival. Q6. The adults can survive cold weather into spring? A. The adults can survive in non-freezing temperatures, as long as they're not exposed to freezing temperatures or wind chills and high moisture they'll be perfectly fine. The cocoons are sealed. Weather anomalies do occur in all regions where temps drop way below freezing, so I encourage you to harvest your cocoons and protect them - It's very rewarding and let's you know a healthy gardening season is forthcoming! Q7. Why do you need to disinfect the pods? A. Disinfecting the pods purges any contamination, diseases, fungal infection, mold, parasites that may be preserved during hibernation. Cleaning the pods ensures a peaceful hibernation that guarantees the health of the bees when they emerge! Thank you for asking these questions, I'm sorry they were not answered in the video :( There were still many more topics I didn't discuss, but I'm very glad you enjoyed it and found it valuable! Most importantly, thanks for showing your support by subbing to my channel!

@@UmamiGarden I started a vanilla garden in Africa but I closed it down after a couple of years. This endeavor did not go well especially with all the corruption. Vanilla is a luxury crop that’s tedious to grow. I can earn over $300-500 per kg depending on quality. I saw you grow wasabi without running water. I love unique crops. I will try to watch more vids!

Hi, I'm very sorry to hear about your struggles and issues within your country. I hope one day when things settle, you can pursue this venture again, but this time with much better success! When you do, please share your stories your agriculture workflow, I'm always interested in learning from others! Thank you for showing your support, take care!

Hi @EverFlo777 !!! I'm very glad to hear it's added a substantial amount of knowledge that you can share with others! Thank you for supporting my channel!

Hallo AndreRMeyer, Und vielen Dank für Ihr Lob und vor allem für Ihre geschätzte Unterstützung für meinen Kanal!

Hi Haleyelizabeth8378, Paper wasps tend to mind their own business unless you're within their vicinity. I'm glad you're focusing on what mattesr more, the leafcutter bee! I hope you made a nice home for your leafcutter friend so she can invite other expecting mommies! Thank you for your support!

Hi Gearz Pop, Thank you for finding me! Very glad you enjoy the content, many videos in production! Thank you so much for supporting my growing channel!

Hi Jye Brodie-Snowdon! You're very welcome! :D :D :D I hope this video provided you all the information needed to involve yourself in solitary bee keeping! Feel free to ask me any questions regarding this video, I enjoy it very much! Thank you for showing your support!

Hi Max! You're amazing! My channel is ok :) Thank you for supporting my channel!

Hi Michael, I feel very appreciated, thank you so much more! Cheers!

Hi Stacy! That's awesome! I totally enjoyed seeing you visit and leaving a comment! Thank you so much for supporting my channel! And swarm wishes!

Hi! You know what else is awesome? That Christopher Layug guy :D :D :D Thank you so much for showing your support for my channel!

Hi @ruthjohnson1001 ! Your garden will thank you! Better blooms, bigger and tastier fruits, the best harvest ever! Thanks for supporting my channel!

Hi FranKoPepez ! The feeling is mutual! In regards to bees of course :) Very glad to hear you've enjoyed my video, it took me several years to complete i! Thank you so much for supporting my channel!

Absolutely! I totally enjoyed documenting this, and very happy to hear such positive feedback! Cheers!

Hi Williamwoody7607 , I haven't thought of this but it does raise a few concerns. 1. Your personal safety when splitting the bamboo/reeds. 2. Air pockets, this tends to deter the bees as they assume it's not a sealed enclosure 3. Tape residue may leak through the openings of the split bamboo with high temperatures Perhaps if we rearrange the approach of your suggestion, I'm sure we can make it possible! Please share your results, there's many ways to approach the construction of bee shelters - I'm actually releasing a video regarding this topic soon! Thank you so much for your support!

Hi Aussie Bush Harvest! Glad you enjoyed it! I hope my future videos share the same energy! Thank you for supporting my channel!

Hi BossJosh! You're very welcome! I totally enjoy making these videos so you're in for a treat! Many more in production, I hope they meet your expectations! Thank you so much for supporting my channel!

Hi Hashihashi1019, I hope I did a good job! It only took me 5 years to do it 🤣😂🤣 I really enjoyed it and I'm glad you did too! Thank you for supporting my channel!

Hi Again Drain Gang Uranium! You're definitely reading my mind! I've already collected a years worth of footage for that 😊 As far as tools, if you're referring to the knives and supported equipment then of course I can make a video for those too! Many of the items I use are imported from Japan, they're made sustainability in mind - Bamboo, Hinoki Cypress and Kiri wood, just to name a few. Is there anything in particular you have in mind? I'll make sure I highlight that topic for you! Thank you again for supporting my channel! Having one sub that appreciates the quality content is more heartwarming than 1 million that aren't engaged 😥

@@UmamiGarden Yeah I definitely noticed that all of your knives and tools are made from sustainable materials which is awesome, and also they all look hand made which is great too, there's some great craftmanship there. I don't have anything particular in mind, maybe just going over tools which come from Japan and have very specific purposes, and also maybe talking about why certain knives have the shape that they do. Whatever you decide to make, I'll definitely watch it, stay safe!

Hi @alpineflauge909 !!! No, you're awesome! Thank you for supporting my channel - It's what keeps me motivated!

Hi Verity Wolfe, You're also very lovely too! Thank you again for showing your support!

Hi Flossypark3169, It took several attempts to achieve the clean cocoon extraction, behind those gloves are huge bloodied scars! JK!!! Be careful not to hurt yourself or the bees when you're extracting. If it's safer for you to extract the cocoons, use thicker gloves that resist sharp objects as a layer of protection. I'm also very glad to hear you've went above and BEEyond to clean the coocons, I should have put more emphasis on the extraction and cleaning portion. Please provide an update of how your 2023 bee season! Thank you so much for supporting my channel and your kind words!

@@UmamiGardenhi! I successfully opened the canes, glad I did! There were literally hundreds of parasitic fly grubs where there should have been baby bees! Some chalk brood, but extracted many babies! There are hatching now, so 🤞🤞but weather hasn’t been consistent and we’ve had many cold periods! Good luck with your bees! 🐝🐝🐝🐝😊

Hi Lovelylittlegirl3332, It's in the works! Thank you for your suggestion and most importantly, supporting my growing channel!

Hi Sam! I totally enjoy raising solitary bees! My city ordnance didn't allow me to keep honey bees because our neighbors are within proximity of the honey bee hives. The best time to start is around spring time, I hope the video did a fair job of explaining how to get started! Leafcutter bees spread the pollen on another level, this is because they carry pollen on their bellies and often times, entire body! If you noticed the video, when you see a closeup shot of them carry pollen on their bellies, you can see it on their head, back and legs! There's definitely other facts that I have yet to learn, each year as I observe them I learn something new! Thank you so much for supporting my growing channel!

What growing zone do you live in? What do you grow in your garden that the bees can feed on? How did you manage to get the leaf cutter bees to nest in your garden? How many solitary bee houses did you start with? How many leaf cutter bee cocoons did you purchase as your first-time batch? I have pre-ordered 20 Mason bee cocoon for next spring. After watching this video, I may want to purchase some leaf cutter bee cocoons as well.

Hi Daan! Very heartwarming to hear you've enjoyed it! Definitely add some shelter for these lovely bees, they'll thank you by providing a bountiful harvest! Regarding your question about muddy water, as long as it's not thick clay, it'll be sufficient for the mason bees. If you have a lawn or some open space somewhere with dirt, you can dig a small trench, fill it with water and mix it into a slurry. Saturate it every other day to maintain the moisture, they tend to use more natural areas than mud in a container. If you're able to dig deeper into a clay layer, you can fill it up entirely with water, this allows the bees to drink as well. Basically a small pond, it'll attract other bees too! The objective is to collect natural mud, it's more native to them compared to store bought clay. The other option is what you suggested, leave a container with the clay mixture by their nesting area. I had very little success with this, you may have less pickier mason bees in your area! Bees in my area prefer dirt, all I had to do was water my plants and water exiting the containers saturated the ground. It's fun to see them dig up the dirt and fly away, very fascinating! I'll be more than happy to answer any other questions! Thank you so much for supporting my channel!

Hi Carrieannmcleod5219, I strongly discourage leaving them as is, many reasons I've noticed is related to infestations and fungal issues. Cleaning the tubes, not only ensures their safety but it also creates a clean and fresh environment for the next generation. Allowing them to hatch naturally will lead to a lower population and health complications. In summary, cleaning them provides many more benefits than a natural emergence. Please let me know how else I can help the bees! Thank you so much for supporting my channel!

When providing a unnatural nesting place, it must be cleaned or they will aquire more and more parasites every year. So yes, they need the annual maintenance cleaning. You don't have to clean off every single individual, just line the tubes with bamboo or paper and after they leave in the spring/summer replace them.

Hi Park! Cleaning isn't mandatory, but it's encourage to increase the survival rate of these bees. In terms of maintenance, it's actually not that bad if you're using natural or organic materials so they can be easily composted. I'll add details where you'd like me to expand upon, sometimes I get too excited during my videos! If you think that's fast, you should hear me talk in person LOL! Please let me know how I can help you, help the bees! Thank you so much for your continued support!

This is perfect information! Thank you for sharing!

Thanks for the "Transcript". I'm new to bees and experimenting with insect houses and this video answered most of my concerns!

Hi Elly Davis! Yes, you can use a bleach solution, 1 teaspoon of bleach for 1 cup of water. This will eradicate everything surrounding the cocoons. The leafcutter bees do not need to be cleaned, you'll just need to roll them around your fingers to remove the loose leaves. They're packed very tightly, if you see any mold signs of parasites I encourage you to clean them. I don't often clean them, it's rare for them to be as dirty as the mason bee cocoons. In terms of hatching, I keep them in a small 8oz deli container with a small opening and wet towel. Or if you noticed in my video, I have a stone lantern by my koi pond that has holes large enough for them to go in and out as they please but nothing larger than them can enter. The stone also radiates the warmth they need, I stumbled upon it and realized how useful it was for solitary bees! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I'll bee more than happy to help you! 😁😁😁 Thank you so much for supporting my channel!

@@UmamiGarden Thanks so much for taking the time to reply with extra advice. Your video was invaluable to this newbie solitary bee guardian (hopefully).

Hi Elly Davis! Absolutely! One day, you'll be teaching me instead! I hope all of my future videos continue to provide you the motivation and spread joy to others as well! Thank you!

These are not colony bees. This is a video on solitary mason and leaf cutter bees.

Hi Russell! This is definitely possible but not encouraged. With sugar water, it'll attract ants, colony bees, in addition to wasps and birds. I encourage you to plant flowers in early spring, it'll attract many beneficial insects including butterflies! Please let me know how I can help! Thank you for your support!

Hi Matt, You bring up a good point! However, you can avoid this issue by creating nesting area on a high wooden stake. Or, place it on a metal pole - This keeps rodents, unwanted pests or any other predators away. Hope this helps! Thank you for asking!

Hi Tys, Absolutely, an established garden will attract solitary bees and many other pollinators. A few plants with blooms may not be enough to keep them around, but a few fruit plants and spring flowers will change their mind! If you have only some fruits and mainly vegetables, I encourage you to look into leaf cutter bees. They don't have the high requirements mason bee's do. Thank you and I hope this information helps!

Hi @FatNebraskaMom ! I'll remember this next year when I setup their nesting tubes! Thank you for your feedback and support!

@@UmamiGarden the female bee selects the gender of her eggs based on how much space she has. The males are laid at the front of the tube, because they're the first ones out to scout for food. And if the tubes are too short, you get one or two females for every tube. Longer tubes maximize your population. Also be careful of the weather. This last spring I lost all of my bees and it wrecked me.

Hi @christophergs ! I greatly appreciate your feedback and yes, I will definitely consider implementing more details in important and difficult disease/illness/pest names for our viewers to do further research where needed. Thank you so much for supporting my channel!

Hi Giovanni9045, This will work, but I wouldn't encourage it. They'll hatch and will be less inclined to return since the space appears occupied. By cleaning them individually, you ensure their health and no fungal infections or spores are spread to the next generation. Cleaning may seem mundane, but think of all the benefits you're getting after taking care of them! Honestly, I really enjoy cleaning everything out for them, it's very satisfying for me! I hope this provides the answer you're looking for!

Hi Dave! Thanks for asking, my first batch of bees were discovered in my backyard! I had several fruit trees that fail to set fruit year after year, sometimes very minimal fruit. I decided to setup a mason shelter and they started moving in. I continued to do this year after year and the quality of fruit and life around my garden improved like day and night! This applies to my leafcutter bees too! Both are native to my area (California, Bay Area) but their population has dwindled over the past several years This is caused by use of pesticides or areas affected by drought, drought resistant plants do not meet solitary bee requirements. Please help the environment by encouraging their growth, if you have fruit trees or flowers that bloom in the spring, you'll be surprised what they're capable of! Please feel free to contact me on Instagram and I'll be more than happy to answer any questions! Thank you so much for your support!

@@UmamiGarden : Thanks!

I don't, because I have a supply of River bamboo growing near me.

Hi @BeekeepingEstonia ! You can reuse the bamboo pieces only if they're sanitized. Do this by leaving them in the sun to cure and store in a dry environment until usage. I would only reuse the bamboo if the structure isn't compromised in any way. I'm very glad to hear you're doing your best to promote sustainability and promoting the population of our solitary bees! Thank you so much for your continued support for my channel!

Hi Gaming Rex! They really fascinating to watch as they develop during their lifetime. Makes you appreciate them so much more than what you've heard. Thank you for supporting my channel!

Hi, Human intervention increases their survivability from natural elements such as : 1. Rodents 2. Relentless rain 3. Emerging prematurely 4. Predators 5. Fungal infections parasites Additionally, this also allows us to control how they're released in a more graceful manner that promotes their health. I hope this answers your questions and beyond! Thank you for supporting my channel!

Hi Félix André! It's a work in progress - It'll be updated very soon! Feel free to follow me and message me if you have any questions about my channel! I'll be posting my year's work of production to give everyone an idea of what to expect in the future videos. Thank you for visiting my channel and showing your support!

Hi Minh! They're definitely not flies! From a distance they do look very similar, but a closer look you'll definitely be able to identify them. Mason bees fly much quicker and flight motion is very similar to a drone. Flies move in zig zags or clumsy flight patterns, they also have red eyes and mason bees do not. Identify them before you do any harm! Thanks for supporting my channel!

Hi! Thank you for your praise and yes she does stay indoors! She's only out when I'm outside in the garden, which is most of the sunlight hours! I adopted her as a feral cat, spent about 6 months to acclimate her and another year to domesticate her! August was her 5th birthday! :D :D :D Thank you so much for your continued support!