Our Blue Orchard Mason bees are raised on Vancouver Island, B.C., and cocoons are available to Vancouver Island residents only. We encourage customers to only obtain cocoons from the same ecological region in which they plan to release them - this limits the spread of pests and disease from one region to another. Our Blue Orchard mason bee cocoons are cleaned and ready to be stored in your fridge until you release them in April. These native, beneficial, early-spring pollinators can be released in your garden, or at your mason bee house, to support flower pollination and help increase the native bee population. These cocoons are harvested from our mason bee houses in the winter and stored in the fridge until spring. This process allows us to clean the cocoons - washing away pollen mites - an essential step in supporting our native bees' survival. Pollen mites compete for food with young mason bees (larvae), causing them to starve. The cocoons are candled (we use a bright light to 'see' inside), in an effort ensure the cocoons do not contain any parasitic species. They are stored in the fridge, mimicking winter, where they are kept dormant until you release them in the spring when the weather is ideal and your garden is ready for pollinators. We release our mason bee cocoons when there have been three consecutive days of 14ºC+ weather and when roughly 1/4 of our fruit trees are in blossom. That usually ends up being early- to mid-April here on mid-Vancouver Island. We also look for a sunny day with little wind. We release them in the morning so the ones that emerge from their cocoons right away have time to adjust and hide before dark. They often sleep overnight in their provided houses. If you want to ensure successful pollination and fruit set in your garden or orchard, and support native bees, consider hosting Blue Orchard mason bees in your garden.
