Small holes in the sides of nesting tubes
What are the small holes in the side of my nesting tubes?
Small holes in the sides of your paper or cardboard nesting holes were made by parasitic wasps.
Parasitic wasps are sneaky and use their ovipositor to lay their eggs inside the developing bee larvae. When the parasitic wasp eggs hatch they chew their way out of the side of your paper or cardboard nesting tubes and they leave a small hole behind.
Related Articles
Various hole-nesting pests
Ants What You See: Lacking wings, a line of ants walk to the nesting holes by crossing the surface the bee house is mounted upon, such as a fence post, wall, or tree. Effect on Bees: An ant colony may be attracted to the sweet smell of pollen and ...
What's this? A pictorial guide to things found in nesting holes.
Various cocoons Blue Orchard Bee Hornfaced Bee Osmia Coloradensis or Osmia Californica Leafcutter Wasp (bullet) Wasp (grass) summer bee/wasp Wool Carder Pests to Hole-Nesting Bees Pollen Mites Chalkbrood Houdini Fly Larva Houdini Fly Adult Pollen ...
Black spots on mason bee cocoons
Mason Bee Larva Frass During mason bee cocoon harvest, many people ask about the little brown or black flecks that are found throughout their nesting materials. Don’t worry, these are not a sign of disease or pests. As the mason bee larvae eat the ...
Troubleshooting why mason bees did not nest in your bee house
Why are mason bees not nesting in my bee house? For first-time mason bee raisers, this is our most common question in the spring. First, please be patient. It takes time for the mason bees to emerge from their cocoons and it can take up to two weeks ...
How to react to unexpected weather changes
Bees are accustomed to temperature swings, including freezing temperatures at night. Female bees will wait in their nesting holes until the bad weather passes. The male bees wait out bad weather on plants near the bee house. Spring Mason Bees: For ...