Making a Native Bee House

Make your own native bee houses to give as gifts for your favorite gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts.

Your gift will provide years of pleasure to the recipients, while giving native bees a helping hand.

The easiest method uses a bundle of hollow sticks such as bamboo, reeds, or sumac. Cut them into short segments, and remove 3 to 5 inches of pith with wire or a drill. And if you like, paint the front to make an inviting entrance for the bees.  Bundle the stems together with wire or place in a bucket or can.

Or create a solitary bee house from a block of untreated wood. Drill holes into, but not through a block of untreated wood.  The holes should be 3 to 5 inches deep and about ⁵/₁₆ of an inch in diameter for Mason bees.

Include instructions to mount the bee house on the southeast side of a post, fence or building.

A bit more information:  Include seeds of a few bee-friendly plants with your bee house gift. The plants provide food and shelter and will help attract the native bees to the landscape and bee house.

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sustainable-gardening garden-landscape-design bees

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