Mason Bees
I hope to get more information on this page before the season is over, but for starts I will say that Jan-Mar is the time to get your mason bee blocks up and ready for your fruit trees pollination. Honey bees are not usually out in full strength when the orchards are in full bloom especially if spring comes early, so the mason bee is a natural for this. Mason bees do not live in a hive instead they are deposited as a larva in a 1/4" to 5/16" hole the prior year. As soon as it becomes warm enough to for the fruit trees to blossom the mason bees are out of hibernation and going to work.
In a mason bee block hole there is a row of larva (approx 6 in a 3-4" hole). From each hole four or five will be female and from this group each female will fill 5 to 6 more holes with larva for the next year. 
- You can start with an empty block the first year and by nature you will have a few mason bees fill several of the holes in your block. This will have you ready for the next year. Or along with your block you can buy mason bee cocoons to go with your block.
- You can buy tube(s) of larva (2 to 8 bees per tube, not guaranteed).
- You can get larva cocoons that are cleaned and inspected (guaranteed & expensive!). Both of these options are in your local pet stores.
- We have a limited number of blocks with cocoons from last year and we will be selling some of them.
For more information on Mason bees here is some information put out by the University of WA