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Bee Hotels
Emm-in-a-pickle
Posts: 1,633 Forumite
in Gardening
:j:TMy bee-grublings have evidently survived the winter and are now hovering around their `hotel` to start the process all over again! I can`t tell you how thrilled I am :j.:beer:
This is the first bee-hotel (NOT a hive, but accomodation for Solitary bees) we put up, quite late in the autumn before last. Nothing appeared to be happening till last spring, when we saw bees going in the holes, then we saw the holes had been blocked off with what looked like tiny mud-pasties. After a bit of online research we knew these were Mason Bees (also called Orchard Bees), very placid in nature and important Spring pollinators.
Then later last summer we saw more bees carrying tiny green circles of leaf and trying to squish them into the already occupied blocked up tubes of the first bee-hotel - so we rushed to put up a second one, and watched them come & go with bits of leaf . We learned that these later bees were Leaf-cutter Bees. Do not be alarmed though, apparently they don`t harm the plants by the little bits they take.
There`s no activity yet around this second one, but hopefully that will come later. We also put up a bee-log, but that only has a few holes, and guess what? I`ve just put another larger bee-log up, fixed to the fence-post. Next door are as pleased as we are!:T
This is the first bee-hotel (NOT a hive, but accomodation for Solitary bees) we put up, quite late in the autumn before last. Nothing appeared to be happening till last spring, when we saw bees going in the holes, then we saw the holes had been blocked off with what looked like tiny mud-pasties. After a bit of online research we knew these were Mason Bees (also called Orchard Bees), very placid in nature and important Spring pollinators.
Then later last summer we saw more bees carrying tiny green circles of leaf and trying to squish them into the already occupied blocked up tubes of the first bee-hotel - so we rushed to put up a second one, and watched them come & go with bits of leaf . We learned that these later bees were Leaf-cutter Bees. Do not be alarmed though, apparently they don`t harm the plants by the little bits they take.
There`s no activity yet around this second one, but hopefully that will come later. We also put up a bee-log, but that only has a few holes, and guess what? I`ve just put another larger bee-log up, fixed to the fence-post. Next door are as pleased as we are!:T
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Comments
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How lucky are you, :T
I have 2 bee hotels and neither one has been used, along with 2 nesting boxes for sparrows and one with a bigger opening for a bird that Ive forgotten the name of and a wildlife pond and what have I got NOTHING AT ALL:mad:
I'm not jealous at all:DTreat other's how you like to be treated.
Harry born 23/09/2008
New baby grandson, Louie born 28/06/2012,
Proud nanny to two beautiful boys :j
And now I have the joy of having my foster granddaughter becoming my real granddaughter. Can't ask for anything better
UPDATE,
As of today 180919. my granddaughter is now my official granddaughter, adoption finally granted0 -
I'm beginning to worry about mine. I've got a great big log with loads of different sized holes drilled into it and, like you, have had red mason bees using it last year.
I put the log in a covered passageway over winter, where it will have been cold but protected from the elements.
The log is now back in position. I've got plenty of red mason bees checking it out, but none of the blocked up holes from last year appear to have been vacated.
If you lend someone a tenner and never see them again, it was probably worth it.0 -
Well done Emm-in-a-pickle, it sounds fascinating watching them!
Are they easy to make? I would love one!
Mrbadexample - May I ask, how big is your log of wood and is it freestanding? How big we're the drill holes that you used?
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harrys_nan wrote: »How lucky are you, :T
I have 2 bee hotels and neither one has been used, NOTHING AT ALL:mad:
Maybe who ever sold them to you saw you coming, looks like you've been stung.Liverpool is one of the wonders of Britain,
What it may grow to in time, I know not what.
Daniel Defoe: 1725.
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Mrbadexample - May I ask, how big is your log of wood and is it freestanding? How big we're the drill holes that you used?
The log is about 10" wide, 22" high and fixed in a shelter on a south-facing wall. Hole sizes are 2-10mm.
I've got this one too, which has mostly been occupied by leafcutters:
If you lend someone a tenner and never see them again, it was probably worth it.0 -
mrbadexample - I wish I could thank you more than once! Thank you, the pics make it so much easier to understand and they look great!
Given your kind dimensions, I think I have just the piece of wood too for the first one
Is south facing best?0 -
Harrysnan & Mrbadexample, don`t give up! There may be lots of little successful things going on that you`ve missed.
We thought nothing was happening when we first put ours up. I gather it is quite important to place the bee-hotels facing South, but apart from that just leave things to Mother Nature!
I was very tempted to move them to a more sheltered spot (ours are on South-facing back wall of the house) as I did worry about them with all the bad weather, but we decided against it. It`s only a few days since I looked and saw the holes still blocked up, so there`s time yet MrB! Everything seems a bit late this year.
Pixiechick, our successful ones were from Aldi! I`d seen some in garden centres that were rather pricey, but the Aldi ones were ok. They look like a bird-box with peaked roof, only the front is stuffed with bits of hollow cane (I wish I could post pix but I`m clueless with that stuff). It would probably be quite easy to make, but I would avoid using too many wide-bore canes as they seem to have preferred the width that they can only just fit themselves into.
PS Thanks for the replies all - it`s good to know it`s not just me that`s bee-bonkers!0 -
Thank you. I'd never heard of a bee hotel until I happened apron this thread! Such a great idea, I can't wait to hopefully, have some residents when I have one up.
I will put it south facing, thank you0 -
Bees! I've got BEES! :j
It's been a beautifully sunny day, and the temperature is much higher. At least four of the plugged holes have been vacated, with hopefully more to follow. I am unspeakably happy.
If you lend someone a tenner and never see them again, it was probably worth it.0
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