Nesting Kits
Man-made homes for these bees come in various shapes and forms - some decorative and some purely functional.
The example shown here is 30-tube kit
When a female choses to use a tube for a nest she builds cells in the tube, each cell containing an egg that will turn into next year's bee.
The egg is placed on a pile of pollen which serves as food for the larva that hatches from the egg.
Each cell is blocked off from the next with a wall of mud.
About 8-10 cells fit in each tube. A female might fill 4-5 tubes in her lifetime.
Nesting boxes are best placed with the entrance in a southerly facing direction so that the females can warm themselves in the early morning sun before setting off to forage. Under the eves of a shed is an ideal place, providing shade from the midday sun.
