Best Mason Bee House on 2023: Buying Guides, Components and Kits
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Mason bees are the most efficient pollinators. If you want to increase the production of your backyard garden, keeping a mason bee house will be the best option. Mason bee houses are usually wooden, handmade boxes that work like a safe place for not only mason bees, but also other essential bugs like butterflies, ladybugs, etc.
After doing extensive research and going through many products, we’ve compiled a list of the best mason bee houses available right now. Let’s dive in!
Quick View: Top 3 Mason Bee Houses
If you are in a rush and want to know the top mason bee houses, check out the list:
You don’t have to decide right away. We will discuss and review each of the products and walk you through the decision-making phase.
Before you start reading the reviews, let’s go through the basics of a mason bee house. If you have a clear understanding then you can easily make your decision.
Basics of Mason Bees and Mason Bee Houses
Mason bees do not live in bee hives like honey bees. These bees live in reeds or tubes and do not produce any honey. They collect pollen from flowers. They are really friendly and can live together around humans.
Mason bees are metallic blue or black in color, and very hairy. Pollen gets attached to these hairs when they visit from flower to flower. That’s why they are three times more effective in pollination than honey bees. They cover an area of around 100 meters, so if you are planning to buy mason bee houses, you can plan accordingly. The more area you want to cover the more houses you will need.
Mason bees come from cocoons. So, you can collect cocoons or buy them if you want to introduce them to your garden. But, it doesn’t guarantee that they will nest in your allocated house.
As mason bees nest in tubes or reeds, buying a suitable and natural bee house is the way to go. Right-size tubes will ensure mason bees can lay eggs and make cocoons. They will need lots of flowers, bushes, and trees around the house. Also, they will need mud for sealing the tubes, if they are not naturally available, you need to buy clay mud.
Put mason bee house in a place where the morning sunlight comes and is not too shady. Hang the bee house 6-7 feet high from the ground, so it is safe from predators and not disturbed by humans.
Now, that you have got the basic idea of mason bees and their houses, let’s take a look at the complete review.
5 Best Mason bee House Reviewed
There are many types of mason bee houses in the market. No single product is ideal for everyone. We all have different needs, requirements, and priorities. Some mason bee houses are designed only for the bees, whereas some focus on several insects. So, pick the one that’s right for you.
1. Hewewor, Hexagon Mason Bee house
This hexagon-shaped mason bee house by Hewewor is made of solid pine wood. And, the tubes are made of naturally dried bamboo. It is mold-proof and is a natural like option for mason bees. There are around 90 tubes. It comes with a hanging rope and a metal wall buckle.
It has a dimension of 8″ x 8″ x 4″ and a weight of 1.2kg. It is carefully varnished for making it waterproof and ensuring longevity. So, it is a lightweight small mason bee house, perfect for your backyard garden. However, the bamboo tubes are fixed which dramatically reduces the reusability and cleaning after each season.
Let’s take a look at the good and bad sides of this mason bee house:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Great design and bee-friendly | ⭕ Fixed bamboo tubes |
| ✅ Very sturdy | ⭕ Hard to clean and collect cocoons |
| ✅ Lightweight | ⭕ Bees are not much attracted |
| ✅ Both hanging and wall mount options |
A cheap and lightweight option for your backyard garden.
2. TOOBEETT, Mason Bee House
The mason bee house by TOOBEETT is wax coated and is a beautiful one. It is weather resistant and is a comfortable habitat for mason bees and bumble bees. It is made of natural wood. It also comes with hanging rope and wall buckles.
Besides bees, it also has space for butterflies and ladybugs. It comes with easy-to-replace 100 cardboard nesting tubes. The tubes are 5.9″ long and perfect for bee nesting. The whole bee house is 6.69″ long, 7.67″ wide, and 11.81″ high.
The durable and long-lasting mason bee box is the best mason bee house out there.
Let’s take a quick at the pros and cons of this bee house:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Durable and sturdy construction | ⭕ There are complaints of smelly woods |
| ✅ Space for different pollinators | ⭕ Bees might not be interested |
| ✅ Visually appealing | |
| ✅ Replaceable tubes |
If you are looking for a good-looking and effective mason bee house, then this is the one for you.
3. SunVara, Mason Bee Habitat
The teardrop design mason bee habitat is made by SunVara. This is a sustainable and eco-friendly design. The tubes are from zero chemicals bamboo and the outer layer is also from bamboo material. It comes with a hanging option only.
The dimension of the house is 4.53″ x 5.91″ x 10.04″ and the weight is only 750 grams. So, it is a lightweight and cheap bee house for your garden. It is an eye-catching habitat for both bees and humans.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of this American-made bee house:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Beautifully constructed | ⭕ Tubes are too short |
| ✅ Eco-friendly and eye-catching | ⭕ No way to extract cocoons |
| ✅ Great for beginners | |
| ✅ Perfect gift material |
If you are looking for a mason bee house to gift, then it is an ideal one.
4. Diaotec, Mason Bee House
The mason bee house by Diotec is a handmade one. It is made in the USA and comes with a free wildflower mix. It is also a hanging one and hanging hardware is included with it.
The reeds are made from durable elderberry stocks. These tubes are four inches long. Also, they claim to give replacement reeds whenever needed. The dimension of the bee house is 9″x9″x4″. It is designed to last for years.
Let’s have a quick look at the ups and downs of this bee house:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Nicely made | ⭕ Poor customer service for replacement tubes |
| ✅ Bees are easily attracted to this | ⭕ Sealed access to the pine cones |
| ✅ Lightweight and value for money | |
| ✅ Easy read instructions |
If you are worried if your bees will be attracted or not. Then this bee house is the one for you.
5. Welliver, Mason Bee House
The square-shaped bee house by Welliver is another fantastic option. It is 7.25″ long, 5.5″ wide, and 5″ high. It is also, made in the USA. The tubes are made of cardboard and they are replaceable.
The already assembled 100 straws mason bee house is a popular choice. It is very easy to unroll the straws and harvest the cocoons. However, it is recommended to have some kind of rain or weather protection as the paper tubes will be easily wasted if wet.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of this one:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Sturdy and attractive | ⭕ Loose joints |
| ✅ Bees quickly get attracted | ⭕ No mounting or hanging hardware |
| ✅ Replaceable tubes | |
| ✅ Perfect depth for bees |
If you are looking for a not-fancy, but effective bee house, then you should go for it.
Mason Bee House Setup Guide
You have to know the basics of mason bees, like where they nest, when they lay eggs, how long it takes to hatch, etc. After learning the basics of mason bees, then you can go ahead and set up a mason bee house.
As you’ve already learned there are many kinds of mason bee houses. Everyone’s preference is different and finds most success with different types. The most popular choice of mason bee house is the cottage style or the teardrop bamboo tube one. Also, some beekeepers prefer cardboard tubes, as they are easy to harvest and cheaper.
When to install the mason bee house
It is important that mason bees get morning sunlight, as they need to keep themselves warm. They remain most active during the early morning. So, you already know the ideal season for starting mason beekeeping.
- Buy or collect cocoons and mason bee houses before the spring. So, that you can start immediately when the Spring season starts.
- Before placing cocoons in the bee house, make sure there are plenty of flowers and bushes.
If you miss the Spring season, you can still start mason beekeeping. But, keep in mind that you may not get any offspring. As the bees will not get enough time to collect resources, lay eggs and seal the tubes. However, you will get the increased productivity of the garden.
Where to place the mason bee house
The ideal height of a mason bee house is eye level, which means 6-7 feet high from the ground. Away from too much heat and also not always shaded. Mason bees are very friendly, but keeping them away from frequent human movements will be ideal. Also, these houses need rain protection, so placing them right under eaves or shades will be a great choice.
Also, you should keep in mind that birds are bee predators. If there are birds nest nearby, it will not be a suitable location for a bee house. Use a protective layer of steel mesh wiring for protection from birds, chickens, squirrels, and other similar predators.
Mason bees need a lot of flowers and they can cover an area of 100 meters. So, keeping the house near flower gardens will be the perfect habitat.
Conclusion
In this article, you have learned everything about mason bee houses and also a slight idea about mason beekeeping. After reading this guide we hope that you will not be any more confused about which one will be the best mason bee house for your needs.
You will never be an experienced beekeeper if you don’t start experiencing. Buy the bee house now and start your beekeeping journey.
