Clever Homes for Wild Bees

[journey11]

Thought you guys might enjoy these pics of clever and creative bee houses. They are to encourage more wild bees/native pollinators in the garden. If my BIL will allow me to get my hands on some of his bamboo, I think I will try to cook something up...

These websites were in German. These are the translated versions: ((Lots of pics!))

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&tl=en&u=http://www.wildbienen.de/wbs-ste1.htm

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&tl=en&u=http://www.wildbienen.de/wbs-bsta.htm

I particularly liked the logs with holes drilled into them, then to have several different diameters together to make an abstract.

:bee

 

[lesa]

Those are some really cool bee houses!!! I have my bamboo one hung up, and am eagerly awaiting the arrival of some mason bees. I was thinking that mine didn't look very sturdy- those are a lot of good ideas for very cute, and sturdy bee houses. Thanks for the info!

 

[Beekissed]

I've often wondered about these mason bees folks are ordering for their garden. Around these parts, mason bees are a real nuisance insect and they bore holes in everything! My mother has waged a war against them for years as they bore holes in her log cabin walls and supports.

How do folks figure to keep them in the little nesting boxes and not boring holes in their outbuildings and porches?

 

[lesa]

Beekissed- I am no expert- but I think what your mother has are carpenter bees. They actually drill holes. The mason bees lay their eggs in hollow areas, that are already established. Thus, the tube type "houses".

 

[journey11]

Yeah, I'm thinking carpenter bees too. Do they look like a giant bumblebees and they take to hovering around your porch and eaves in early spring? Really super annoying!! We swat them with tennis rackets. They actually chew out holes using their mouths. They do pollinate I think, if they are the same big bee that loves my hollyhocks, but they are solitary. They only drill untreated wood. They look at my decking, but don't ever find a spot they like. We had a lot of trouble with them where we used to live because the house had log siding. Every couple of years we had to treat it with linseed oil. They won't bother it then. You could always tell it needed a new coat when the carpenter bees came back around looking for a home! We paint the rough cut wood of the barn siding with old transmission oil and that keeps them off the barn too.

The mason bees are smaller and only use pre-existing holes as I understand it. :bee

 

[jojo54]

neat ideas! thanks for sharing! :rainbow-sun

 

[vfem]

You can tell a carpenter bee from a mason bee or bumble bee by the yellow dot on their forehead. They are super annoying and destructive to wood structures. :/