Bees are fundamental to a healthy ecosystem. Without bees, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds couldn’t exist. There are 4,000 species of bees that are native to North America, but they are losing habitat at a dramatic rate. This is leading to a huge decline in population. Bees need our help, and we need bees. So why not help save these bees by creating a house for them in your garden? The bees will happily thank you by pollinating it!
More than 90% of all bee species are solitary. The female bee will build her own nest in close proximity to other females of the same species. Bee hotels are usually made out of boxes or containers that are filled with sticks, pinecones, bamboo shoots, or logs with holes drilled in them. These types of homes provide the bees with choices and give them good shelter.
Building a “bee hotel” is not difficult, and you probably already have the materials that you will need to accomplish it. Listed below are a few simple ideas that you can apply to create such a home.
License Plates and Old Bird Homes
You can make a sturdy roof for your bee home using license plates. Take an old birdhouse for the house base and bend a license plate on the top for a fashionable look. Remove the walls of the birdhouse and add either blocks of wood with holes drilled in them or pieces of bamboo stalks to create small living spaces for the bees.
Cardboard and Clay Pots
Put sticks, pinecones, and cardboard all together in a clay pot to create hibernating areas for your bees. Situate them together to create a beautiful hodgepodge of recycled garden material. The bees will love this.
Cinder Blocks
Create multi-storied high-rise bee hotels using cinder blocks. Fill the gaps of the cinder block with bamboo stalks or a stump drilled with holes to create nesting areas for the bees. Cinder blocks are great to use because they will protect the bees from all the elements. You can also paint it to add some color to your garden.
Mason Jar
Fill a mason jar with bamboo cuts or small tubes to create small living spaces for the bees. You can either set it in your garden somewhere or suspend it from a branch or shed. You will easily be able to notice the bees move in because the bamboo tips will be filled with mud and other material.
Wine Box
Upcycle an empty wine box with bits of wood or bamboo canes. If you want to add texture to your bee hotel, you can use different kinds of material for the nesting pods.
Honey bees are not the only bees that need our protection and help. So be the hero that you were born to be, and build your bee home today!
You can also build a bee waterer to keep them hydrated, and for best results, plant flowers native to the region.
