I'm new here, as I have become an unwitting mason bee keeper. We have a covered porch with various furniture on it, and one item is a kid's wooden table that was supposed to only be on the porch for a messy project. I left it a little longer than that and soon became aware of a bee busily coming and going from underneath. I flipped the table over and saw multiple mud covered nests in the holes where the screws are sunken in to assemble the table. I left them at that point, and in the end, the bee filled 6 holes with nests (also the ground hole of an outdoor extension cord, but that's less of an issue).
So, now bad weather has set in, and I'd really like to bring this table inside for my child to use. I only just bought it a couple weeks before the nests were built. I don't know if there's a way to move the bees out. I'm totally willing to put them in cold storage or whatever else I would need to do to help them overwinter, and I don't want to kill them. I do very much want to be able to use this table, though! If I bring it inside, I'm assuming the bees will think it's spring and will emerge and then die.
Any ideas for me?
So, now bad weather has set in, and I'd really like to bring this table inside for my child to use. I only just bought it a couple weeks before the nests were built. I don't know if there's a way to move the bees out. I'm totally willing to put them in cold storage or whatever else I would need to do to help them overwinter, and I don't want to kill them. I do very much want to be able to use this table, though! If I bring it inside, I'm assuming the bees will think it's spring and will emerge and then die.
Any ideas for me?