Here are a couple of easy guidelines to help you know how many mason bee cocoons to keep during harvesting:
- Keep about 1.5 mason bee cocoons per nesting tube. For example, if you have a 48-hole wood tray for mason bees, keep about 75 mason bee cocoons. Keeping a few extra will ensure that you have enough healthy adult bees emerge and nest next spring.
- Keep a minimum of 10 mason bee cocoons per mature fruit tree.
Every yard is different, and with experience, you will get to know how many mason bee cocoons your garden, orchard, or farm can support. Many of our bee raisers like to keep about 200 mason bee cocoons to raise in their backyard.