What do I do if my neighbor has bees?

If you see a swarm of bees on your property, the right thing to do is to call a beekeeper who is an expert at removing swarms. He/She will capture the swarm and remove them from your property, taking them to a safe place with a new hive or passing them along to another bee-keeping member of your city.

Are you allowed bee hives?

CONDITION OF REGISTRATION All beekeepers in NSW who own bee hives must be registered with NSW DPI. Failure to register may result in a fine plus the destruction of your hives if they have disease. A registration fee is payable every second year. Beekeepers must not keep bees in a hive other than a frame hive.

Is bee keeping expensive?

The initial cost of beekeeping can be intimidating to new beekeepers. You will need to invest in supplies such as a hive, proper protective clothing, a smoker, and hive tool. As of this writing, a single new hive may cost about $150, clothing and gear may cost about $160, and a package of new bees may run $125 to $150.

Is bee keeping difficult?

Don’t Do It Because It’s Easy (It’s Not!) Beekeeping takes time. It takes effort. It challenges you to keep learning (by the way, this is a major plus to us!). And, no matter your experience, at some point it’s going to frustrate you and upset you.

Where should I put a bee house in my yard?

The Bee House should be placed against a flat surface and located in an area protected from high winds. The front of the house should have a south or southwest exposure where it will get the most sun in winter to keep bees warm. After bees mate, the female places eggs in the bamboo tubes.

Do Bee houses attract wasps?

Instead, a new study suggests that bee hotels can favor other insects such as wasps and non-native bees. The researchers installed 200 bee hotels per year in the Toronto area from 2011 to 2013. Each hotel contained 30 cardboard tubes of various sizes for nesting, and the sites ranged from gardens to rooftops.

How long does a mason bee live?

Male bees are laid toward the front of the nest hole because they need to hatch first in order to be available when the more critical females hatch. Mason bees usually live for a year, although humans only see the active adult stage, which lasts about 3 to 6 weeks.

Will Mason bees kill honey bees?

Mason Bees Can’t Replace Honey Bees. Mason bees are very effective pollinators. They provide excellent wood characteristics. However, they go away for a year before most honey plants begin to bloom.

When should you put out mason bees?

Once you see a few things start to bloom, you can safely put your bees outside. If you don’t trust yourself to remember by looking at plants, just think March 1. Spring mason bees (Osmia lignaria) are generally active March, April, and May, so March 1 is a reliable date to use.

What do I do with mason bee cocoons?

Release cocoons. Bring your jar or container of cleaned cocoons inside from the yard or garage. Keep the container at room temperature inside for a day before placing bees outside. Tape the jar or container with cocoons to your house or tuck inside the nesting unit if there’s room.

When should I buy a mason bee cocoon?

After the bee emerges from the cocoon it will find a nesting hole on it’s own. Release mason bee cocoons when the daytime temperatures are 55 F or warmer. There should be lots of flowers blooming for them to collect pollen and nectar.

Do mason bees die in winter?

Most bees in North America are solitary. Essentially, bees active in earlier spring (eg: mason bees) will have ample time to pupate in the summer and will overwinter as hibernating adults in their cocoons.

What are mason bees good for?

The benefit of Mason Bees is that they are excellent pollinators, 120 times more effective than honey bees or bumble bees. This is because those bees have a colony to support and carry most of the pollen they collect back to the hive. Mason Bees do not have a hive so all of the pollen they collect stays with them.