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How to make a bee hotel

in Home : Projects: Wildlife gardening

You will need

  • A plank of untreated wood or ply at least 10cm wide
  • A plentiful supply of hollow stems such as reeds, bamboo canes or old flower stems
  • Wood saw, drill, screws and secateurs
  • A mirror fixing for hanging the hotel
Do it: All year round
Takes just: 1 hour

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Overview

Give beneficial pollinating insects a home by making a bee hotel. The female of the non-aggressive mason bee species spends most of her life searching for hollow stems to use as a nest. So why not make a bee hotel for her in which she can lay her eggs? Collect old flower stalks or bamboo canes, follow our simple steps and you could be watching the fascinating insects in your garden this summer.

How to do it

1Cut the plank into four pieces to make a rectangular frame for the bee hotel. Drill guide holes for the screws and assemble the frame as if making a box.

2Snip your stems into lengths that are the depth of the box, discarding any bent or knobbly ones. Stems need to be straight so that the female bee can lay a number of eggs in each.

3Carefully pack the frame of the bee hotel with the stems - only as you add the final few does the whole lattice lock solid.

Bee hotel

4Hang your bee hotel on a sunny wall, sheltered from the rain, and wait for the mason bees to investigate it in the spring.

Adam's tip

Although Japanese knotweed is a real pest, its dead stems are perfect for the bee hotel. Easy to gather and cut, they are available in a range of diameters, including 3-5mm, as preferred by the bees.

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Talkback: How to make a bee hotel
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rogerdennis 24/11/2011 at 15:27

Last year I made a hedgehog house, dont knpow yet whether I had one take up residence as I havent looked yet

summerplace 24/11/2011 at 15:28

We saw bees using a small hole under a waterfall construction in the garden, last year and could hear noise of the activity under there,(bees buzzing ) but as a bee tried to enter this spring it was prevented by a large spider, Does this mean that this location will not be used by the bees again or will they try to gain access from another hole, I hope so because we would love to have them back. I found your blog very interesting and I will use some of your tips to try and get them to return.

peter pumpkin 24/11/2011 at 15:28

very interesting ill try it

myself 24/11/2011 at 15:28

It's ok if you like bees!!!

Habitat_Aid 24/11/2011 at 15:28

Try a winebox and fennel and elder stems for a more extensive hotel...

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