When the warmer weather arrives, this begins the start of the season for the bees.
My partner spends a lot of effort looking after these cocoons and eggs through the winter months, and to give them the best chance of survival.
A few facts (given to me by my other half)... if there are any bee experts that find this is not entirely accurate then apologies.
1) mason bees have a lifespan of just 6 to 8 weeks. When the weather starts warming the the hatching begins.
2) the outer most eggs always develop into young males. Their purpose is to mate with the females when they hatch and to produce new offspring eggs. The males stay in proximity of the bee houses and await their destiny of mating.
3) a little afterwards the females start hatching. The males are ready and waiting. Literally as soon as the females start showing their face in the tubes, and the hatching is heard (you can hear a cracking and scraping if you listen in) then they wait with expectation.
4) literally as soon as the females hatch, the poor unsuspecting newly birth females are pounced upon by the males.
5) the females task then is to lay the eggs into the tubes. They use sand barriers to block sections of eggs and for the next years bee hatching.
6) this process is all completed within their lifespan... perhaps 6 weeks... before they die off and this all starts again the next year.
A few pics and videos of this week in the bee houses.
Videos may take a little while to be approved. All taken with the S25 ultra.
Smiley
A female that has just dug her way out... looking upon the world for the very first time.
Additionally here is a tray of cocoons that were earlier 'decanted' from tubes... you can see many of these have hatched out this week.
🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝
Additionally here is a tray of cocoons that were earlier 'decanted' from tubes... you can see many of these have hatched out this week.
🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝
