Trouble with Mason Bee hive and looking for any information to humanely move them - Ask Extension
Hello, I have a group of Mason bees that are building their nest in the hollow parts of my sliding screen door, and it's quickly getting out of hand. ...
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Trouble with Mason Bee hive and looking for any information to humanely move them #928108
Asked April 11, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT
Hello, I have a group of Mason bees that are building their nest in the hollow parts of my sliding screen door, and it's quickly getting out of hand. I do not want to hurt them but I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to get them to move at this point in the season, like getting a bee house and if there's anything I can do to entice them to move the colony to it. Is there anything at all I can do to try to get them moved? I live in an apartment complex and I know that they aren't protected like honey bees so a few places I've talked to about professional removal they've just said that they would be killed and I would really like to avoid that if possible since they are pollinators.
Any help would be appreciated! Thank you so much.
Washington County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for your question, Stephanie. As soon as the females have laid enough eggs to fill the tube, they will look for other tube-like structures and continue filling them until they run out of pollen and nectar. You can put up empty bee houses near your door, and the females will find it.
Can you block the entry to the screen door tube to prevent more eggs being added? Leaving them there until next spring won’t harm them, and they’ll leave them so you can seal the entry. While they may be a nuisance for a few weeks more, they are very docile and won’t sting.
Here’s more information: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em-9130-nurturing-mason-bees-your-backyard-western-oregon
Good luck!
Can you block the entry to the screen door tube to prevent more eggs being added? Leaving them there until next spring won’t harm them, and they’ll leave them so you can seal the entry. While they may be a nuisance for a few weeks more, they are very docile and won’t sting.
Here’s more information: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em-9130-nurturing-mason-bees-your-backyard-western-oregon
Good luck!
