This is a PSA on BEE HOTELS!!!!
Gardener's World did the awful one used as the image for this post, so please sit tight.
You want solitary, cavity nesting bees in your garden? Cool. These will be of a few different genera. The most common that you get in regular, store bought bee hotels are Osmia and Megachile, but people also get Heriades, Anthidium and Hylaeus. You also can get a lot of solitary wasps which are
! ! ! A W E S O M E ! ! !
If you're buying one in a store, please read on! For instructions on how to make one please hold on while I try find my old hard drive :)
Avoid bamboo (multitude of problems with it inc splitting and shortness due to the cells in it)
Make sure there's a good distance between the holes (3/4 inch at least)
Make sure there's no splinters on the outside, these will rip newly emerging bee wings and potentially the more worn out momma bees
No metal wire on the outside unless you live in an area with woodpeckers. Again, bee wings can get caught and tear on the wire.
NO. I REPEAT. NO PINECONES!!! They flow up in winter and squish whatever is inside.
Closed ends to prevent parasites sneaking in the back & to stop baby bees falling out the wrong end (though the female bee will try hr hardest to stop this, they are more exposed)
At least 4 inch deep holes which are 10mm across or less. 12mm can work for some Megachile & Anthidium
A range of holes sizes is good for multiple species but can promote diseases being passed between different species, so your choice what you choose to risk.
Make sure it's fairly waterproof, especially if you're somewhere wet.
Don't use treated wood as the treatment can include insecticides.
Please FIRMLY ATTACH your bee hotel to something at about head height (prevents ants). If it sways, say good bye to the baby bees.
Please attach facing south-east to south (so the bees can warm up and dry off when they first emerge)
Please replace your bee hotel every yearto 2 years. Mite build up is a thing and it is not good!! If you want to reuse it, you can bleach it to prevent disease spreading (1 part bleach to 3 parts water) and clean out the holes with pipe cleaners if you must to get rid of mites that are in a weird form of "hibernation" (it's not quite called that but for simplicity's sake..!).
That's it. Please be well informed on your purchases. There are good reusable bee hotels out there which come apart so you can clean and inspect the cells.
Further work can be done by removing cells for over wintering, leaving them in a dry cool place (they need it to drop to ~4 degree Celsius iirc) and clean your bee hotel out then. Release as they emerge or leave them in an emergence box outside that is safe from birds, badgers and rodents (dark box with a small emergence hole).
I personally recommend the Nurturing Nature bee hotels as they are well researched! If not, please check out Wildlife World Solitary Bee Hive, it is also a good bet and you can remove the pupae & clean it and use it until it disintegrates into nothing :) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001HIYW44/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_TFCkDbG178Y19
This is written from a UK bee perspective I'm not 100% sure on American ones, but there's lots of info out there e.g. Managing Alternative Pollinators handbook by the Xerces society.
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