I was cleaning my mason bee cocoons (I know, it's the wrong time of year to do this) and I found some strange cocoons among the bees (see photo below). On the left are bee cocoons, on the right are the odd ones. They are dark brown, cylindrical, and have a tan tip on one end. The are made of a papery material, rather than silk. Any ideas what they are?
Thanks for any help!
Sorry, I can see it fine in my view. Guess I don't know how to post photos. Can you see it below? If not, try https://photos.app.goo.gl/aLPn.....yksKjyJxo6
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jafar said
Yes, that worked.Looks like they might be cocoons of beneficial wasps that parasitize spiders:
https://crownbees.com/whats-th.....materials/
Hmm, thanks, Jafar, that's a good resource. Mine don't look quite like the Trypoxylon referenced there, but similar - maybe a slightly different species. It does allay my fears a little. I've sorted them out from the bee cocoons; maybe I'll go ahead and let them hatch.
I attended a Pierce County Washington Master Gardener talk yesterday about mason bees. The presenter said that Houdini flies are starting to become a problem in backyard mason bee colonies. The tiny fly sits on the bee block and goes into the tube after a bee leaves and deposits her eggs.
TreeBeard, you mentioned the cocoons being made of a papery material. Could that material actually be dried leaf bits? Those squared off cocoons remind me of leaf cutter bee cocoons. https://crownbees.com/before-y.....tter-bees/
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