Why your garden needs a hotel for solitary bees
In short: When people think of bees, they often imagine social honeybees in large colonies. However, the vast majority of wild bee species are actually solitary. These individual nesters play a vital role in pollination, yet they often lack the natural tree cavities they need to thrive in urban environments.
In Australia, there are approximately 2,000 native bee species, most of which are solitary rather than social. While there are 11 species of 'sugarbag' bees that live in colonies with a queen and workers, most native bees follow a different lifecycle. After gathering pollen and nectar, the lone female constructs a nest, deposits an egg, and secures the cell to shield her young from parasites and the elements. Some of these nests can contain up to 12 individual eggs, each with its own dedicated stash of food.
To support these declining populations, gardeners can provide artificial nesting sites known as bee hotels. These structures mimic the natural borer holes found in old trees. To build one, you can drill various-sized holes into a block of wood or pack a container with hollow tubes made from bamboo, reeds, or dried plant stems like elder or sunflower. For the best results, these holes should be between 2mm and 10mm wide, as holes larger than 10mm may go unused by many species.
Location is critical for a successful bee hotel. These structures should be placed in a sunny, sheltered spot, such as a wall, fence, or tree trunk, at a height between 0.5m and 3m above the ground. To attract specific species, consider the surrounding flora. In Australia, planting members of the pea family (Fabaceae), such as stinkwood, can attract Megachile bees. In the UK, providing a variety of plants ensures that the diverse range of solitary bees has enough food to sustain their nesting cycles.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Make a native bee hotel and attract native bees into your garden
- Also: 5 easy ways to make a habitat for wild bees
- Also: How to make a bee hotel | Natural History Museum
- Also: Build a Bee Hotel
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