Mason Bee Cocoon Cleaning Workshop

Saturday, November 7 | 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Fourth Plain Community Commons

Join the Vancouver Bee Project for an afternoon of hands-on learning as we clean mason bee cocoons and prepare them for a healthy spring!

We'll begin at 1:00 p.m. with a short presentation on mason bee biology, fall stewardship, and why annual cocoon cleaning is one of the best things you can do to reduce parasites, predators, and diseases. You'll get an up-close look at some of the fascinating nest associates that share mason bee nests, including pollen mites, parasitic wasps, fungal diseases, and other insects.

After the presentation, we'll spend the afternoon cleaning out mason bee nests together. If you have a mason bee house, bring it with you! We'll help you determine the best way to harvest and clean your cocoons and answer your questions along the way.

Don't have a bee house or are you brand new to mason bees? We'd still love to have you join us! We'll have plenty of nesting tubes to clean, so everyone can gain hands-on experience. This is a perfect opportunity to learn the process before starting your own mason bee house next spring.

Please note that bee houses with removable trays or removable nesting tubes are the easiest to clean. Houses with glued-in reeds, fixed tubes, or drilled wood blocks often cannot be cleaned without destroying the nesting material or, in some cases, the house itself. We'll also discuss what to look for when purchasing or building a bee house so that annual cleaning is simple and effective.

No registration is required—just come by at 1:00 p.m.! Whether you're a longtime mason bee steward or simply curious to learn more, this is a fun opportunity to meet others who care about native bees, learn new skills, and help give next year's mason bees the best possible start. We hope to see you there!