Build a Bee House

Convert scrap lumber into homes for native bees to raise their young.

Native bees are important pollinators needed for plants to produce fruits, seeds and berries. Planting native flowers such as asters and bee balm and trees like lindens will provide food to help attract bees to your landscape and keep them healthy.  Providing housing will also help attract these visitors to your garden.

Drill holes into, but not through, any size block of untreated wood. The holes should be about 3 to 5 inches deep and ⁵/₁₆th an inch in diameter for Mason bees.  Insert straws into each hole to make cleaning easier. Paper straws are good for nesting but glass or plastic reduce the risk of mold formation.

Mount the bee house on the south side of a fence or building. Keep your bees safe by eliminating the use of pesticides on or near the bee house. Better yet, use bee-safe insect control methods in your garden and landscape.

A bit more information: No construction skills? Don’t worry - you can use hollow stemmed grasses and reeds as the nesting cavities. Place these in a bucket or bundle them together to create a bee house.  Click here for more information on building bee houses.

Tags

sustainable-gardening garden-landscape-design bees

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