Interesting bee for sure in Homes for Solitary Bees

By mcash70
January 12, 2012

All bees are very important for pollination. To keep solitary bees in your garden, build them a house. My husband made a simple one from a 4x4 cut about 15" inches long, with one end cut on a slant. He then drilled several rows of holes about 2 inches deep with varying sizes from 1/6 to 3/8 of an inch. Lastly, he cut a board somewhat larger than the first and nailed it to the slanted end as a roof. Attach the new bee house to a fence or tree for happy bees!!

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Sheila_FW

Jan 11, 2012 11:39 PM CST

Thread OP

Name: Sheila F
Fort Worth TX (Zone 8a)

I need to try to remember to put a nesting box up for them this year. Here is a bit more on them... http://www.everythingabout.net...
http://bugguide.net/node/view/...

| @Sheila_FW | Post #200808 (1)

Last edited by Sheila_FW Jan 11, 2012 11:41 PM

mcash70

Jan 12, 2012 12:15 AM CST

Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)

Thanks for the links sheila. The bees don't seem to care if the nesting box is fancy or not, they started using the ones my DH made within days of it being installed on the fence. It's really interesting to see the wide variety of bees that use it. The only problem we have had was a Hairy Woodpecker raided one of them a couple of years ago, so we moved it to another location and so far that seems to have solved the problem.

| @mcash70 | Post #200810 (2)

Dutchlady1

Jan 12, 2012 6:13 AM CST

I thought bees always hung out in groups, I had no idea there were 'hermit bees'.....

| @Dutchlady1 | Post #200846 (3)

mcash70

Jan 12, 2012 10:10 AM CST

Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)

Hetty, I find ATP is a wonderful place to learn all sorts of new things, it's really great the way everyone shares their knowledge and ideas.

| @mcash70 | Post #200910 (4)

careyana

Jan 12, 2012 11:39 AM CST

Name: Carey
Austin, TX (Zone 8b)

I need to make a nest box this year myself! It would sure be nice to chase off the cicadas and beetles.

| @careyana | Post #200940 (5)

mcash70

Jan 12, 2012 11:52 AM CST

Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)

Now I just learned something, I didn't know that the bees chased off cicadas and beetles!!

| @mcash70 | Post #200944 (6)

careyana

Jan 12, 2012 1:08 PM CST

Name: Carey
Austin, TX (Zone 8b)

Bees are wonderful and quite useful in oh so many ways!

http://www.uri.edu/ce/factshee...

There are also Mason and Leafcutter bees...several are covered on this site.

http://solitarybee.com/

| @careyana | Post #200963 (7)

mcash70

Jan 12, 2012 1:23 PM CST

Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)

Great links on the bees, Carey.

| @mcash70 | Post #200965 (8)

crittergarden

Jan 13, 2012 11:56 AM CST

Surprisingly GREEN Pittsburgh (Zone 6a)

Thanks for this tip.
I didn't know about solitary bees.
Did you find some UNtreated 4x4 somewhere?
I need some for a bunny hutch and can only find treated posts....

SHOW ME YOUR CRITTERS! I have a critter page over at Cubits. http://cubits.org/crittergarde...

| @crittergarden | Post #201273 (9)

mcash70

Jan 13, 2012 12:40 PM CST

Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)

crittergarden the post we used was treated, I don't know what type of treatment was used and it had been sitting around for a long time and it hasn't seemed to harm the bees as we have seen them coming and going. But your bringing up the question makes me think that I should look for some untreaded and make new ones. I think I saw some made by screwing 2x4 together or even stacking 1x4 or 1x5" boards if you can't find 4x4.

| @mcash70 | Post #201295 (10)

careyana

Jan 14, 2012 10:19 AM CST

Name: Carey
Austin, TX (Zone 8b)

Thank YOU Margaret! I picked up some materials the other day to make bee houses so I'll be working on them this weekend!

| @careyana | Post #201554 (11)

mcash70

Jan 14, 2012 12:01 PM CST

Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)

That's great Carey!! I hope you have a lot of happy bees in their new homes.

| @mcash70 | Post #201605 (12)

Gymgirl

Jan 17, 2012 2:33 PM CST

Name: Linda
SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a)
"Godspeed, & Good Harvest!"

Mcash70,
Could you paint the beehouse with spray paint?

My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden
My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone **

| @Gymgirl | Post #202449 (13)

mcash70

Jan 17, 2012 4:39 PM CST

Name: Margaret
Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)

Gymgirl I suppose you could, but you would have to paint first, then drill out the holes as you wouldn't want paint inside where the bees are going to reside.