# Ordering Tubes



## Aspera

OK, I'm going to test the "no stupid questions" theory and ask why you can't just drill holes into blocks of woods.


----------



## xC0000005

You can, but it would be nice to be able to be able to shuffle them around and distribute them, as well as to disinfect coocoons. I have friends and family I'd like to be able to send tubes to.


----------



## Aspera

How do you disinfect your cocoons?


----------



## dcross

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217161

If you're just looking for the paper straws, you can get them from Territorial Seeds for less than 20 cents a piece(I think!).


----------



## xC0000005

I somehow missed that link. Ordered a few myself.


----------



## solitaryb

It depends on the quanity you need. I was running out of space on my little 45 tube box, so as I didn't need hundreds, I thought I would test the straw idea out by making the straws myself. In a few spare moments evenings using brown wrapping paper around dowling of the right diameter, (and recruiting my nephew) I got sixty together stuffed in two beer cans. It worked, and it even attracted another more shyer bee - will post the image another time. Half the tubes were filled after two weeks.


----------



## blueskybeesupply

http://www.papertube.com/contact.htm

Sent a nice kit. Recommended by others.


----------



## Bucherbees

I just attended a seminar on pollinatores. The alternative to pricy cardboard tubes is bamboo. Your cut bamboo about 6 inches long (matching the circumference) of the cardboard tubes) and stick a bunch of the bamboo in a cut off rainspout (to keep them dry) which you can hang on a tree. I believe they were saying that one can purchase bamboo poles from K-Mart or such. Here is a link:
www.pollinatorparadise.com

Good luck.


----------



## Bucherbees

http://www.gardeners.com/Mason-Bee-House/20676,37-481,default,cp.html
this is another link buying a mason bee house, at least, this is what it looks like to use bamboo tubes.


----------



## solitaryb

*Paper tube results*

Just an update on the hand-made straws. They worked fine for the last ten days of activities - I used ordinary brown parcel paper wrapped around a 9mm piece of dowelling and when my main box became filled up, the smaller bees took to it ok. 

Had 34 tubes sealed out of the 60 offered, and just recently inspected them (hope I have not messed up by doing this too early); at least 10 tubes had cells and pollen but no cocoons, 38 cocoons were counted in all, and there was a pretty massive amount of parasite evidence in comparison to what occurred in the PVC tubes. 

Interestingly at the time of adult activity I noticed something resembling a fruit-fly hanging around at the tube entrances - something less in evidence on the box - and multiple white egg-like things infesting at least 20 unsuccessful cells. These were not the tiny mite things that Jim Fischer wrote about (below) when he talked about disinfecting the cells


Jim Fischer said:


> ....To the naked eye, the mites look like mold growing in the entrance of the tubes. Under a microscope at 10x, the "mold" can be seen to move. At 100x, you can see that these are mites. Lots and lots of mites.


 I also saw a few tiny crawling creatures in one of the tubes. 
I have already got rid of the obvious infections, but at least to me, the paper tubes seems much more vulnerable to infestations than PVC tubes.


----------



## beecarlos

I have several nesting tubes... Guard tubes and paper inserts..How many are you interested in?? [email protected]


----------



## BadBeeKeeper

*Re: Paper tube results*



solitaryb said:


> Just an update on the hand-made straws. They worked fine for the last ten days of activities - I used ordinary brown parcel paper wrapped around a 9mm piece of dowelling and when my main box became filled up, the smaller bees took to it ok.
> 
> Had 34 tubes sealed out of the 60 offered, and just recently inspected them (hope I have not messed up by doing this too early); at least 10 tubes had cells and pollen but no cocoons, 38 cocoons were counted in all, and there was a pretty massive amount of parasite evidence in comparison to what occurred in the PVC tubes.
> 
> Interestingly at the time of adult activity I noticed something resembling a fruit-fly hanging around at the tube entrances - something less in evidence on the box - and multiple white egg-like things infesting at least 20 unsuccessful cells. These were not the tiny mite things that Jim Fischer wrote about (below) when he talked about disinfecting the cells
> I also saw a few tiny crawling creatures in one of the tubes.
> I have already got rid of the obvious infections, but at least to me, the paper tubes seems much more vulnerable to infestations than PVC tubes.


What about just using cheap plastic straws? Seems like that would be easier, just cut to length. I know that I have seen some size recommendations that are smaller, but the mason bees I have here will use up to 3/8 fuel line hoses and 3/8 drive socket sets, and spaces as small as the grooves in unassembled honeybee frame top and bottom bars. They really don't seem to be very particular as to size. Fact is, it seems like they will use just about anything between an eighth and a half inch.


----------



## WBVC

*Re: Paper tube results*

I had also wondered about the larger diam straws.


----------



## Westhill

*Re: Paper tube results*

I saw a guy on youtube who used the old, dead, hollow last-year stems of Japanese knotweed. I went and picked some of my own and they are sturdy, light, and of course compostable when you're done. Also, free, with an infinite resupply. And it's good to have something useful from that obnoxious weed.


----------

