This was likely a wild predator, but it's hard to say with certainty which animal. A rodent (including squirrels), raccoon, or opossum might have been the culprit, as each is omnivorous enough to consume insects if given the opportunity. For the future, a bee researcher at Patuxent Wildlife Refuge recommends not using paper- or cardboard-type tubes and instead drilling holes in wood blocks. Hole diameters of 1/8, 3/8, 5/8 of an inch can all be used for a range of native bee species. Drill the holes as deep as the drill bit will let you go, and the type of wood likely doesn't matter (just use the end of the wood so the hole follows the grain).

Miri

Thanks, Miri. Found the culprit – squirrels.  I had a stack of wood blocks with holes drilled inside the nest structure, and the squirrel chewed into the wood to get the babies, although it gave up before making much headway!   My husband said squirrels from the get-go, but I didn’t think they could move the bricks and toss the chickenwire away.    Things are more secured this time (hopefully).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hDCSytDDBj-11TVl4AJhFvVxUqffi_s-/view?usp=drive_link

 

 

Sara

 

Interesting. Well, maybe it was squirrels plus another animal at another time (like after dark). In either case, good luck with the second attempt!