Instructions: Natural Reeds for Native Bees

Natural nesting Reeds

Natural Reeds are bees’ favorite nesting material and when given a choice, hole-nesting bees will use reeds first.

Our reeds are gathered from lake beds and swamps and carefully hand-cut to a uniform length of 6". Reeds naturally vary in diameter size and we offer 7-10mm for spring mason bees and 4-7mm for summer leafcutter bees.

Benefits

We’ve observed that solitary bees prefer nesting in natural reeds. The reeds are visually attractive to bees and the reed’s size variety helps each female bee to find the nesting hole that belongs to her. Natural reeds are included in our InvitaBee attractant kits to help bees move into reusable wood trays and cardboard BeeTubes.

Instructions

Place reeds with open ends facing out and insert them into the bee house as far back as possible. After the bees have completed their flying season, place the reeds in a BeeGuard Bag until harvest.

How to Open Natural Reeds

Pinch the open or capped end of the reed and the reed will begin to split. Carefully pull the reed apart. We do not recommend reusing reeds because pest and disease buildup can kill your bee house population.

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