Did you know that many of our native bees don’t live in hives? Unlike honey bees, many native species are solitary bees. Some make their nests in hollow or pithy plant stems and small cavities—and you can create a place for them in your own backyard!
This week’s Explore Outdoors Challenge is to build a bee hotel!
🐝 What you’ll need:
• A small wooden box or container with a roof
• Hollow reeds or natural plant stems of different diameters
• Untreated wood blocks with smooth, appropriately sized holes
• A dry, protected location
🏡 Make it bee-friendly: Keep nesting tunnels smooth and closed at the back, and make them deep enough to provide useful nesting space. Protect the hotel from rain, and secure it firmly so it doesn’t swing in the wind. A sunny location with morning sun can help bees warm up and get moving.
🌸 Then make the surrounding habitat just as inviting! Plant a variety of native flowers that bloom from spring through fall, avoid pesticides, and leave some natural nesting areas in your landscape.
🔎 Explore Outdoors Challenge: Once your bee hotel is installed, observe it throughout the season. Look for bees entering the tunnels or for openings that have been sealed with mud, leaves, or other nesting materials.
Remember, bee hotels require maintenance. Nesting materials should be monitored and periodically replaced or cleaned to help reduce the buildup of parasites and disease.
💚 Build it. Watch it. Learn who moves in!
A bee hotel is a wonderful way to explore the fascinating world of native bees while learning that even a small backyard can become valuable habitat.
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