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By mcash70 | 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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Name: Sheila F Fort Worth TX (Zone 8a)              Sheila_FW Jan 11, 2012 11:39 PM CST |
| 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/... |
Name: Margaret Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a)         mcash70 Jan 12, 2012 12:15 AM CST |
| 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. |
          Dutchlady1 Jan 12, 2012 6:13 AM CST |
| I thought bees always hung out in groups, I had no idea there were 'hermit bees'..... |
Name: Margaret Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a) mcash70 Jan 12, 2012 10:10 AM CST |
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.  |
Name: Carey Austin, TX (Zone 8b)      careyana Jan 12, 2012 11:39 AM CST |
| I need to make a nest box this year myself! It would sure be nice to chase off the cicadas and beetles. |
Name: Margaret Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a) mcash70 Jan 12, 2012 11:52 AM CST |
Now I just learned something, I didn't know that the bees chased off cicadas and beetles!!  |
Name: Carey Austin, TX (Zone 8b) careyana Jan 12, 2012 1:08 PM CST |
| 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/  |
Name: Margaret Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a) mcash70 Jan 12, 2012 1:23 PM CST |
Great links on the bees, Carey.  |
Surprisingly GREEN Pittsburgh (Zone 6a)       crittergarden Jan 13, 2012 11:56 AM CST |
| 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... |
Name: Margaret Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a) mcash70 Jan 13, 2012 12:40 PM CST |
| 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. |
Name: Carey Austin, TX (Zone 8b) careyana Jan 14, 2012 10:19 AM CST |
| Thank YOU Margaret! I picked up some materials the other day to make bee houses so I'll be working on them this weekend! |
Name: Margaret Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a) mcash70 Jan 14, 2012 12:01 PM CST |
| That's great Carey!! I hope you have a lot of happy bees in their new homes. |
Name: Linda SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a) "Godspeed, & Good Harvest!"       Gymgirl Jan 17, 2012 2:33 PM CST |
| 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 ** |
Name: Margaret Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a) mcash70 Jan 17, 2012 4:39 PM CST |
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.  |
Surprisingly GREEN Pittsburgh (Zone 6a) crittergarden Jan 20, 2012 1:17 PM CST |
Pretty kitty, Margaret!  SHOW ME YOUR CRITTERS! I have a critter page over at Cubits. http://cubits.org/crittergarde... |
Name: Margaret Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a) mcash70 Jan 20, 2012 1:23 PM CST |
| Thanks crittergarden He is my sister's cat, I was kitty sitting him for a few days and got a few nice photos of him, he has a gentle loving personality, a wonderful boy. |
Surprisingly GREEN Pittsburgh (Zone 6a) crittergarden Jan 20, 2012 1:31 PM CST |
| AAAwwww. I love a cuddly kitty! SHOW ME YOUR CRITTERS! I have a critter page over at Cubits. http://cubits.org/crittergarde... |
Name: Linda SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a) "Godspeed, & Good Harvest!" Gymgirl Jan 23, 2012 10:32 AM CST |
| Thanks! My Blog: Fall/Winter 2011 Veggie Garden My Cubits: Bucket Gardening! **Beginner Vegetable Growers **Growing Veggies By Zone ** |
Name: Margaret Near Kamloops, BC, Canada (Zone 3a) mcash70 Jan 23, 2012 12:14 PM CST |
| Your welcome Linda. |
Name: Wes Ohio (Zone 6a)  Wes Aug 22, 2014 2:51 PM CST |
| Very interesting Margaret! Showed up under Random Ideas this afternoon and what a cool addition for the yard. I love stuff like this. Good for conversation with visitors, even better for the bees. |
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