Bee Hotel

BEE HOTEL

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

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.

Do it: March

Takes just:1 hour

How to do it

Cut 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.
Snip 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.
Carefully pack the frame of the bee hotel with the stems - only as you add the final few does the whole lattice lock solid.
Hang your bee hotel on a sunny wall,