Female mason bees build the walls of their nesting chambers out of mud or other "masonry" products to give each developing bee its own room in the nesting chamber. Female mason bees will then secure the nesting chamber with a thick mud end-cap to protect their offspring from predators until they emerge to pollinate the following spring.
Because mud is vital for mason bee reproduction, females will not nest if they do not have a reliable source nearby (within 25 sq. ft.). However, not just any mud will do! Mason bees prefer to use mud with a high clay content - or that is the consistency of modeling clay.
Specification:
- 8 oz of dry clay
- 100% recycled, 90% post-consumer recycled content paper bag.
Features:
- Spring mason bees use moist clay-rich mud to protect each nesting chamber and female mason bees prefer clay-rich mud, not just clay or wet dirt. Our Mason Bee Mud Mix is just the right texture that mason bees are looking for.
- You can ensure that your yard provides a clay-rich mud source. Within about 25 feet of your bee house, use a trowel or shovel to open a wedge in your soil and add water to check for consistency. If your soil does not stick together when wet and pinched, add Mason Bee Mud Mix to the side of the wedge in the ground. Mason bees like to gather mud from the vertical wall and the groundwater will help keep your mud mix moist.
- Each package of mud mix supports 100+ nesting female mason bees, who use the mud to build protective walls between each nesting chamber.
- We're reducing the single use plastic waste stream by shifting to 100% recycled paper bags.
Instructions:
1. Dig a hole in the ground within 10-20 ft of your bee house.
2. Mix the powder in this bag with 1/4 cup of water in a bowl or jar. Mix thoroughly. It may be dry and crumbly. Add water 1 Tbsp. at a time, mixing well after each addition. It should be thick and pliable. You should be able to knead it like modeling clay. If you made a ball of it in your hand, it would maintain its shape.
3. Add the clay mixture to the southernmost sidewall of the hole you dug.
4. Recycle this bag! It's already made from 100% recycled materials! 90% post-consumer content. Close the loop!
5. Voilà! You're all set. Just remember to check on your exposed mud source often to make sure it hasn't flooded or dried out.
Pro Tips:
- Your ground water should keep the mud moist. If not, soak the ground near the hole daily.
- Don't use a container because the mud mix can either become dry or remain too wet.
- Use the Mason Bee Mud Box if you live in an arid location, have very sandy soil, or if your mud mix dries out within a day.
CAUTION: Avoid inhalation of dried clay. Avoid contact with your eyes.
