A few years ago, I read up on mason bees and what makes them reproduce in your orchard. Turns out that making mud available may be just as important as having "housing" for them. When they don't have mud, they will fly away until they can find some to pack their eggs in  and then make their nest in that area. That is why they are called mason bees.        I started putting out little plastic tubs of mud for them.  Then I found that the tubs would fill up completely with water on a rainy day and I would be drowning mason bees, when they couldn't get out.  I ended up drilling a small hole, about 1 or 2 inches up from the bottom, to keep some water in but keep the top of the mud above it.  I also try to put a stick in each one, so they can climb out if needed. Then I realized that over time, the mud would be covered with leaves, moss, and pine needles. The mason bees had lost access to the mud!  It was too hard to clean the tubs, so I figured I needed a quicker way.  I decided to use the tubs that are wide enough to simply brush my hand across the top, removing the debris and ridding the moss.  Then I found out that the tubs were drying out at times.  Now in the spring, when it's dry, I will go out with a long necked watering can and make sure there's enough moisture in there.   Just recently, I have become a lot more concerned about the amount of plastic in our bodies.  It is flowing in our bloodstreams and getting stuck in our livers and kidneys (it's not just the turtles). I don't want to damage my health, nor the health of the wildlife.   I have been raiding the family recycling bin for cans that are wider than normal, so I can fit my hand in them and sweep off the debris and moss. Then I drill them.  It's a gradual process, but it makes for happier bees, more fruit and a more ecological orchard.

John S
PDX OR