Key Points and Detailed Operating Methods of Mason Bee Pollination Technology

Prepare and seal the box, and place it in a suitable position in the orchard.Then release the bee cocoons 7-10 days before the fruit trees bloom; the number released should generally be determined according to the different conditions of the orchard.Next, carry out basic management work such as preventing water damage and natural enemies, and then the mason bees can be used for pollination.10 days after the adult bees finish pollinating, collect the sealed box, take out the nest tubes, lay them flat in a gauze bag, hang it in a ventilated and cool room, and store them.

When is the best time to release mason bees?

After the bee cocoons are placed in the field, the adult bees bite through the cocoons and emerge one after another, and it takes 7-10 days for them all to emerge. Therefore, the bee cocoons need to be released 7-10 days before the fruit trees bloom so that mason bee activity coincides with the fruit tree flowering period and the purpose of mason bees pollinating fruit trees can be achieved. If the refrigerator temperature is raised from 0-5°C to 8~10°C in advance, and they are placed in the field after 2-3 days, the time for mason bees to emerge from the cocoons can be shortened. If all the adult bees have already broken through the cocoons and emerged before release, they should be released when the fruit trees begin to bloom, and the release time should be 20:00-22:00, which can reduce the loss of mason bees flying away due to being startled. The bee cocoons must never be released after the fruit trees have bloomed; by the time the mason bees have broken through the cocoons and all emerged, the peak flowering period of the fruit trees has already passed, so they cannot play a pollination role, and the number of mason bees reproduced will also be reduced. If possible, manually peeling the cocoons to release mason bees can be considered so that their emergence time coincides with the flowering period.

In an orchard with a single fruit tree species, release the cocoons 7-8 days before flowering; cocoons stored at 4°C should be placed in a 7-8°C environment 15 days before flowering, so that a large number of bees will pollinate when the fruit trees bloom. In apple orchards, release bees when about 40% of the central flowers have opened; the usual bee release period is 12-15 days. In orchards where multiple fruit tree species are mixed, the flowering period is long, and bees can be released twice, for example, the first time when apricot flowers show pink, and the second time at the early flowering stage of pear trees.

The above is the relevant introduction to mason bee pollination technology, and I hope it is helpful to everyone.