Note: Please only send your inner box between late August and late October for wild bee care.
Simply register your BeeHome during this period on MyBeeHome. There, you can conveniently print out the pre-paid postage label at home and choose your preferred payment method directly online.
For shipping, you can order the appropriate box here or use any used box. Do you have multiple inner boxes? Then pack them in a larger box or tape the packages together – the pre-paid label covers everything.
If you have chosen the additional service "Wood Refurbishment" or "BeeExplorer Wild Bee Cinema" and own a BeeHome Classic, please do not only send the inner box, but your entire BeeHome. This is the only way we can refurbish the side walls of your housing and install the BeeExplorer Wild Bee Cinema precisely.
If you are unable to create the label via MyBeeHome, please write your full contact details (first and last name, address, email address) and, most importantly, your house code clearly legible on the package. Our shipping address for wild bee care from late August onwards is:
Wildbiene + Partner AG
Hagackerstrasse 9a
8953 Dietikon
Please note: If you do not register your inner box online in advance, you will not receive a pre-paid shipping label and will receive an invoice after the wild bee care.
Wild bee care takes place every year from mid-August to the end of October. Please do not send your inner box to us until mid-August, as the larvae are still developing throughout the summer and are very sensitive to vibrations during this phase. From mid-August, you can conveniently register for wild bee care via your MyBeeHome account and print out the return label included in the service.
Here you will find all important information about wild bee care.
That's no problem at all! You can simply use any cardboard box – for example, a used package. If you don't have a suitable box available, we also offer a custom-fit shipping box for an inner box for order on our website.
Simply send several inner boxes together in a larger box or securely tape the individual packages together. After registering for wild bee care on MyBeeHome, you will easily receive your pre-paid shipping label for printing.
Wild bee care costs CHF 43.– per inner box and already includes postage for both shipping and return. If you send in multiple inner boxes at once, you automatically benefit from quantity discounts. Payment is easily made online during registration on MyBeeHome, after which you will receive your pre-franked shipping label to print out. During registration, you can also optionally book practical additional services to have your BeeHome refreshed, optimized, or expanded.
Should you be unable to create the label online, please write your contact details and your house code clearly legible on the package and send it directly to the following address:
Wildbiene + Partner
Hagackerstrasse 9a
8953 Dietikon
In this case, we will invoice you for the care via email after completion, with the postage portion for the outbound shipment being borne by you.
Yes, absolutely! You can easily send several inner boxes together in a larger cardboard box or securely tape the individual boxes together. For multiple inner boxes, you will receive a quantity discount on bee care. After registering your inner boxes in your MyBeeHome account, the price advantage will be automatically applied, and you will receive your prepaid shipping label for printing.
Tip: When registering on MyBeeHome, also discover our additional services. With these, you can have your BeeHome refreshed, optimized, or expanded according to your wishes during the care period.
Removing the inner box is a quick and easy process, depending on your BeeHome model. For the BeeHome Classic, simply loosen the wing screws on the right side of the housing to effortlessly pull out the inner box. For the BeeHome One, slide the roof back and then remove the box. With the BeeHome Expert models, each inner box can be easily pulled out directly to the front. Make sure that each box has its own housing code on the back and is registered individually on MyBeeHome. The outer casing always remains mounted outside with you.
Exception: If you have booked the additional service "Wood Refurbishment" or "Wild Bee Cinema" for your BeeHome Classic, you send in the entire BeeHome.
In our video, Tom shows you step-by-step how easy it is to remove.
Yes, wild bee care is worthwhile even if only a few tubes in your BeeHome are capped.
With wild bee care, we statistically record nesting success, identify other species that have nested in your BeeHome, and check for possible parasitism. Professional cleaning and proper overwintering of your cocoons significantly reduce the loss rate of your mason bees.
After the care is complete, you will receive your personal wild bee statistics. They show you which species were active in your BeeHome and how your wild bee population is developing – a valuable basis for tracking your BeeHome experiences over several years.
Once the care is complete, we will send your inner box back to you. From mid-February, you can order fresh mason bee cocoons from us again to start the new season optimally.
Additional services to optimize your BeeHome
For all those who want to refresh or expand their BeeHome, we offer various additional services. This allows you to not only have your BeeHome maintained but also to keep it in the best condition long-term.
If you do not send in your inner box for wild bee care between the end of August and the end of October, the mason bees will overwinter directly in your BeeHome. In this case, it is important that your BeeHome remains outdoors throughout the winter so that the natural cycle of the wild bees is not disturbed. Wild bees need the cold to slow down their metabolism and hibernate. As soon as the days get warmer in spring, the next generation of mason bees will hatch from the cocoons. From February, you also have the opportunity to purchase mason bee cocoons here.
However, without care, there is a higher risk of wild bees being affected by parasites, against which, unfortunately, nothing can be done preventively. Through wild bee care and professional overwintering with us, we reduce the loss rate of mason bees. For example, mites in your BeeHome can eat away the pollen from the larvae, leading to the death of the larvae and preventing long-term reproduction.
Therefore, we advise you to regularly use our wild bee care service. This ensures a healthy population. Additionally, you will receive personal wild bee statistics that you can compare with other wild bee enthusiasts from your town, canton, or all of Switzerland. This makes the care not only useful but also exciting.
No, the solitary bee care is completely voluntary. In nature, mason bees overwinter well-protected in their cocoons outdoors. In your BeeHome, they will also hatch on their own in spring as soon as temperatures rise, and immediately begin pollinating.
Why is solitary bee care still worthwhile?Without care, there is a higher risk of parasite infestation (e.g., by mites that eat the pollen intended for the larvae). Through professional care and controlled overwintering with us, we significantly reduce the loss rate and ensure the long-term survival of your bee population.
Additionally, as part of the care service, you have the option to book practical additional services to refresh, protect, or expand your BeeHome.
Please note: If you do not send your inner box for care, the order of new mason bee cocoons for the coming spring will not be free of charge.
For CHF 43.– per inner box (with attractive volume discounts for two or more inner boxes), the entire all-inclusive package is covered. Processing a single inner box takes at least one hour and includes postage for round-trip shipping, as well as the valuable contribution of our partners in social institutions.
Wild bee care includes:
- Parasite removal
- Professional overwintering of your mason bee cocoons
- Statistical recording of your mason bees' nesting success and identification of other wild bee species that have nested with you
- Replacement of removed nesting tubes
- Voucher for mason bees: At least 30 mason bee cocoons for your new wild bee season in spring
Additional services to optimize your BeeHome:
In addition to basic care, you can book various extras to refresh, protect, or expand your BeeHome. This way, your little house will remain in top condition long-term and start the new bee year perfectly prepared!
No, the BeeSummer and BeeExplorer cannot be sent in for wild bee care in autumn, as we must adhere to fixed standard processes. We can only send our inner boxes into the care process. Be sure to leave them outdoors in winter. This allows the wild bees inside to naturally overwinter and hatch from their cocoons in spring. It's also a special experience to witness the beginning of a new life cycle as the wild bees become active.
If you don't send in your inner box for wild bee care in autumn, that's no problem: your mason bees will naturally overwinter safely in your BeeHome!Just leave it outside: Make sure to leave your BeeHome outside in its usual place all year round. The fluffy pollinators don't mind the winter cold at all. As soon as the spring sun warms up nature, your wild bees will hatch on their own and start their new adventure.
No cocoon care at home: We advise against removing and cleaning the cocoons yourself at home. Safe removal requires a lot of expertise and specialized tools. With improper care, there is a high risk of unintentionally harming the small bees.
Ordering mason bees: Please note that the free order of new mason bee cocoons is linked to our care service. If you do not send in your inner box, you can still purchase additional mason bee cocoons for CHF 18.– in our shop at any time from mid-February to mid-May.
The return of your inner box after wild bee care depends on two factors:
1. Processing capacity: Since we can only process a limited number of inner boxes daily, your inner box might be on standby for a short time. This depends on the number of incoming inner boxes.
2. Care process: Your inner box goes through several stages with us and with our partners in social workshops. Occasionally, minor delays can occur, although we strive to keep them as minimal as possible.
Typically, you will receive your inner box back within two months. Once it has passed our final quality control, we will inform you by email.
Since your inner box is in the same processing queue as other inner boxes, we cannot store it separately. Removing a single inner box would delay the entire process.
If you are traveling in autumn, we recommend sending the inner box only after your vacation, by the end of October at the latest. Alternatively, you can provide an alternative delivery address during online registration. Please note, however, that subsequent changes to the delivery address are not possible.
Don't worry, you don't have to interrupt your vacation when the inner box returns. Make sure the package waits for you in a sheltered place at ambient temperature, as there might still be other species in the nesting tubes. You can also ask another person to place the inner box for you or leave it in the milk box.
It can happen that other wild bee species nest in your BeeHome in addition to the red mason bee and the horned mason bee. Due to the construction of the nesting closures, we recognize these species during professional wild bee care and leave their nesting tubes unopened. Since we specialize in mason bees and do not want to harm other species through potentially incorrect overwintering, we send them back to you. For this reason, we ask you to immediately return the inner box to the BeeHome outside upon receipt and to leave it there until spring. These animals also hibernate and need the cold to maintain their natural cycle undisturbed.
On this page, you will find a compilation of the wild bee species that nest in the BeeHome.
First of all: Thank you for sending in your inner box for wild bee care. If only mason bees were in your inner box, you will receive your inner box back without bees. If there are other wild bee or wasp species in the tubes, we will leave them in and send them back to you. We recognize these species by their different nesting closures. Since we specialize in mason bees and do not want to harm other species through incorrect hibernation, we send them back. For this reason, we ask you to immediately return the inner box to the BeeHome outside after receiving it and to leave it in its place until spring. This is because these animals also hibernate and need the cold to maintain their natural cycle undisturbed.
It's great that you have guests in your BeeHome. Here you can access your statistics where you can see which other species have nested there. On our website, we have compiled an overview of wild bee portraits so that you can get to know your guests better.
Are you wondering why we didn't remove the cocoons from your Observer drawer? We only remove them if we discover parasites in them. Otherwise, we send them back to you so you can watch your wild bees hatch from their cocoons in the spring.
Place your BeeHome on a wall, at least 100 centimetres above the ground – a house wall facing east to south is ideal. The warm morning sun wakes up the industrious mason bees early, giving them more time to collect pollen and lay more eggs for the next generation.
Avoid walls overgrown with ivy, as it is usually too damp there. Alternatively, you can place the bee house on a solid surface such as a windowsill. However, avoid hanging the BeeHome on a tree: it is often shady, damp and windy there, which bees avoid – moreover, pollen-robbing ants can gain access to the bee house much too quickly on trees.
Yes, absolutely. Even in cities, many important food plants bloom throughout spring in parks, gardens, and on balconies. Mason bees fly up to 300 meters in search of food and nest easily on balconies – even on higher floors of multi-story buildings. To make orientation and foraging easier for the bees, we recommend planting some native and wild bee-friendly plants directly on the balcony.
Outside of the flight season, relocation or moving is easily possible. The only important thing is that the inhabited BeeHome is never stored indoors, in the basement, or in the garage, as warmer temperatures disturb the wild bees' hibernation. Simply re-hang it outdoors at the new location in a timely manner. During summer (July to August), be careful not to shake the house too much during transport, as the larvae in the tubes are sensitive to vibrations.
During the flight season (March to June), the BeeHome should ideally remain in its fixed location so that the bees do not lose their orientation. If relocation or moving is unavoidable during this time, pack up the house only in the evening (when all bees are sleeping inside) and re-install it outdoors directly at the new location.
If you are starting anew, it is best to order the tubes with mason bee cocoons only after moving to the new address.
Hooray, that's a great sign – the bees are really thriving at your location! To help more wild bees find a home with you, you can now provide additional living space. Since your current BeeHome is already fully occupied, the industrious builders would be happy to have another BeeHome from our shop. This way, you create space, even for the summer bees that become active later in the year!
If you don't want to set up another BeeHome, you can still order more mason bee cocoons via MyBeeHome. In this case, the hatching bees will simply look for other natural hollows in the vicinity to nest and will diligently pollinate your neighborhood.
However, definitely leave your full BeeHome hanging in its current location! Please only send it in for professional wild bee care in autumn if you wish to use this service.
We open the submission period from the end of August to the end of October, as the larvae are only stable enough for the journey to us then.
The Red Mason Bee and the Horned Mason Bee are naturally lowland bees. For climatic reasons, successful reproduction above approx. 1,300 m above sea level is generally somewhat more difficult. However, if there are fruit trees or a rich supply of bee-friendly plants on site, nothing stands in the way of successful colonization. We have many customers in higher altitudes where the BeeHome works wonderfully and the bees reproduce splendidly.
We offer cocoons of two different species: the Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) and the Horned Mason Bee (Osmia cornuta).
Your voucher for the mason bee cocoons (from wild bee care or when purchasing a BeeHome) is exclusively valid for a tube with Red Mason Bee cocoons.
The Horned Mason Bee is an early starter, becoming active in early spring even at cooler temperatures. Its cocoons are available separately in the shop as a limited additional offer and cannot be redeemed with the voucher.
Both species get along perfectly and can nest side by side in the same BeeHome without any problems.
With every BeeHome purchased and after every wild bee care performed, you will receive a voucher for a tube containing at least 30 cocoons of the red mason bee (Osmia bicornis).
From mid-February to mid-May, you can conveniently order your cocoons via your MyBeeHome account. If you sent in the inner box for care, your voucher will automatically be stored there for you. For a new purchase, simply enter your voucher code during the ordering process. Only an account with your email address is required for redemption.
You choose your desired shipping date yourself when ordering so that the cocoons arrive at your doorstep perfectly suited to the weather. Shipping is securely done via letter mail (A-Post) directly to your mailbox.
Note on the horned mason bee: From January to the end of March, we also offer cocoons of the early-flying horned mason bee (Osmia cornuta). Please note that vouchers cannot be applied to this species.
Yes, absolutely! You can easily order and deploy multiple tubes of mason bee cocoons at the same time – for even more bee power at your BeeHome. You can easily order more red mason bee tubes from mid-February via your MyBeeHome account.
You can slide the first tube into the metal holder of your BeeHome as usual. Additional tubes – or your new tube, if the old slot is still occupied – can simply be attached with some adhesive tape below or to the side of your BeeHome's casing. Alternatively, you can place them in a dry, shady spot in the immediate vicinity of the BeeHome.
⚠️ Important note: Please never place additional tubes in direct sunlight or directly under the roof of the BeeHome, as it can get too hot there. If there are still unhatched bees in the old tube, also place it in a shady outdoor spot.
In this video, Mara shows you how easy it is to attach multiple tubes:
Video: How to place multiple tubes with mason bee cocoons on your BeeHome
No, don't worry – postal shipping does not harm the mason bees. They are shipped during their winter dormancy, meaning they have not yet hatched from their cocoons and are in a deep sleep at this time. Furthermore, they are safely protected in their cocoons, so vibrations during transport are not a problem for them.
Simply push the cardboard tube all the way into the metal device of your BeeHome and then remove the lid. The cork ring inside must remain in the tube, as it protects the cocoons.
Depending on the weather and temperature, the first mason bees may fly out shortly after opening. However, it usually takes a few days to a few weeks for all bees to hatch completely.
In this video, Mara shows you step-by-step how easy the insertion is:
No, the mason bee cocoons are not automatically sent. You can easily order the cocoons of the red mason bee via MyBeeHome. It is important that you specify your desired shipping date. The tube with the cocoons will then be sent by mail on the selected date. Please place the cardboard tube outside in the BeeHome on the day of arrival.
From mid-February, you can redeem your voucher for the cocoons online via MyBeeHome. In addition, we also offer cocoons of the early-flying horned mason bee on our website.
No, snow, frost, and temperatures below 0 °C do not bother mason bees at all. Unhatched bees rest protected in their cocoons and simply wait in the BeeHome until temperatures rise – this can take up to 30 days, depending on the temperature. Bees that have already hatched survive cold snaps without any problems by retreating into the nesting tubes to sleep.
To make it easier for the small pollinators to get started after frosty days, early-flowering plants like grape hyacinths near the BeeHome serve as a valuable refueling station.
Yes, absolutely! Every year from mid-February to about mid-May, you have the option to conveniently order additional mason bee cocoons through your MyBeeHome account. If you send in the inner box of your BeeHome for wild bee care in autumn, you will automatically receive a voucher for your next tube. But even without the care service, you can equip your BeeHome with more cocoons at any time during this period.
We send both the cocoons of the Red Mason Bee and the Horned Mason Bee securely packed in a protected cardboard tube by post directly to your home. To ensure your mason bees get the best possible start, it is best to place the tube outside in your BeeHome on the day of arrival – at the latest by the same evening.