I just started raising mason bees this year. I tried to trap some to start from a local supply last year, I did get about a dozen mud plugs in my trap nests, but none of them were mason bees (not entirely sure what they were - they still haven't emerged yet this year). I bought some mason bee cocoons on eBay - this did not turn out to be a good supplier - his cardboard tubes only averaged about 3.5 cocoons per tube, and fully 63% of those where dead on arrival (died in larval stage - I could not tell what killed them, did not look parasitized to me). Anyway, I started with 25 tubes, and ended with 39 so I guess I can't complain too much although if my starter bees had been healthy I should have ended up with at least 100 tubes. I am optimistic about next year. I should also note that my 2 year old apple trees have hundreds of apples (not all varieties bloomed, but about 5 of my 10 trees bloomed). My friend who planted his trees at the same time doesn't have any apples. I can't say for sure that this is because of my bees, but I bet they helped! One question I have is this - I want to protect my new mason bee nest blocks - do you put up screen over them to keep predators away (wasps, woodpeckers, etc)? When is it OK to move the blocks? I know they say to wait until September to actually remove cocoons and clean them, but is it OK to move the blocks before then or could that harm the growing bees?

Yes you can, and you should, if you can move them to a protected location. The longer they stay out, the more birds and bugs can get to them. In particular parasitic wasps. Move them to an unheated garden shed or garage location. Avoid locations that overheat in the summer sun. The important thing is to move them slowly, gently, and without bumping them. If the larvae get jarred loose from their food supply, they are unable to reattach and will starve. So I've read anyway, so I play it safe and handle them with care. Once Fall rolls around, you can handle them with wild abandon. The are fully cocooned and dormant by then. I try to have my bees into the garden shed by the first of June. That's good enough to avoid most of the parasitic wasps. In fact, the sooner the better.

yes, it is very possible. In fact alot of people do just that. Your bees may die out but in a good swarm year a swarm will move back in and replenish the hive. The problem that you will have in your area is africanized bees, which wave invaded Florida. You will need to become some what of a beekeeper to handle them and make sure that you don't create a safe haven for dangerous bees.

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