The most popular bee tunnels range from about 3/32” to 3/8” wide. The narrower ones are usually shorter (about 3-5 inches) and the wider ones are longer (up to 6 inches). These numbers are not exact, so approximations work fine. The tunnels are easily made with a long drill bit in blocks of dimensional lumber or in the ends of bucked logs. Three important points:

• Use untreated wood
• The tunnels should be as smooth as possible
• The holes should not go completely through the wood (one end remains closed)

Although most native bees are solitary in the sense that one female raises a family by herself, the members of a species like to live near to one another. For that reason, you should group tunnel sizes together. In other words, one block may have lots of ¼-inch holes, while the next block has lots of 3/8-inch holes. Space the holes at least ½- to ¾-inch apart—the larger the holes the bigger the spacing.

If at all possible, line the holes with paper straws or rolled wax paper. A paper liner does two important things:

• It keeps the inside of the nest smooth and snag-free
• It can be replaced every year, thereby reducing the accumulation of diseases and parasites.

The paper tubes can be gently withdrawn at the end of the season and stored in a cool dry place. Alternatively, the cocoons themselves can be taken from the paper and stored separately. In the spring, the paper tubes can be hung near the nests or the cocoons can be put in an open-ended container—like a pvc pipe or a small flower pot—from which the bees will emerge.

Hang your bee boxes at least three to four feet off the ground so they don’t disappear among the weeds and to keep them away from splashing water and small animals. Early morning sun is okay, but the boxes should be protected from direct afternoon rays. Additionally:

• Add a small overhanging roof to keep out the rain
• Mount the boxes on a steady structure rather than one that sways in the wind
• A loose covering of wire mesh (like chicken wire) can help deter hungry birds in winter

That’s really all there is to it. For maximum protection against disease build-up, boxes can be sanitized with bleach at the end of the season or replaced altogether after two or three seasons. In any case, always use liners for best results.

Rusty
HoneyBeeSuite

Nest box with ready-to-hatch straws nearby.

The structures are as varied as the insects that inhabit them. They may be smaller than a birdhouse or may cover the side of two-story building. They may be designed to attract bees, potter wasps, other pollinating insects, or even vertebrate pollinators like hummingbirds and bats. Some offer housing to non-pollinating beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings. The options are endless and the designs are original and creative.

Germany seems to be the leader in bug structures, followed closely by Great Britain. Because those countries are small compared to places like Canada, the United States, and Australia, they were quick to realize the importance of coexisting with the beneficial insects and the need to provide shelter for them in the built environment. The insects use the habitat for shelter, safety, nesting, raising young, and finding food.

A feature that distinguishes walls, towers, and hotels from structures like mason bee condos or bumble bee nests is the wide variety of nesting choices. Pollinator walls may contain hollow reeds, wood with pre-drilled tunnels, cracked or drilled masonry, straw bundles, rolled corrugated board, clustered stones, or dry leaves. The “invertebrate habitat” shown below was built by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust. It contains many types of habitat and was built completely from recycled materials.

Invertebrate Habitat by Cheshire Wildlife Trust

The next photo shows the winner of the 2010 Beyond the Hive Competition in London. This “bug hotel” was built by Arup Associates and is designed to encourage many types of invertebrate inhabitants.

Insect hotel by Arup Associates.

If you decide to build your own habitat, here are some important issues:

• The structure should be in an area sheltered from bright sun and high wind, such as close to a building or under a shady tree. If you hope to attract some native bees, at least past of the structure should be in the sun.

• Insects need water, so a reliable supply such as a pond or creek should be nearby. Alternatively, you can provide an artificial source–just don’t let it run dry.

• Many solitary bees and wasps need a source of mud.

• The fill material should be varied in type (stones, masonry, dead leaves, reeds, wood, twigs) and have many little cracks and crannies, nooks and crevices.

• The design must be structurally sound so it doesn’t topple from wind, rain, or snow. If you live in an earthquake zone, keep the structure low and wide instead of tall and narrow.

Structures don’t have to be large. The one shown below is small enough to become part of the garden. This was an entry in the Beyond the Hive competition by Helaba Landesbank Hessen-Thueringen.

Small but effective.

The possibilities for building insect habitat are endless and can satisfy the artist in you. So give it a try. If you like, send me a photo and I’ll post it here on my site.

Pollinator housing attached to a building. Photo by Wildbienen.

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HoneyBeeSuite

• Plant clover in your lawn. White Dutch clover planted in your lawn will attract dozens of pollinators. In addition, it fixes atmospheric nitrogen into a form the grass can use, resulting in a beautiful green lawn without the use of chemical fertilizers.

• Plant at least some native species. Native plants attract native pollinators. Check with your local extension office if you are unsure of what is native.

• Plant herbs. Herbs, especially those in the mint family, are very attractive to pollinators. This family includes thyme, oregano, sage, basil, peppermint, lavender, catnip and rosemary. As an added bonus, you get to use the herbs yourself.

• Select plants with a wide range of bloom times. Native bees need food from spring until fall so plan to have something in bloom all season long.

• Plant larval host plants. Some plants are not considered especially attractive in the garden but are necessary to certain species of pollinators. Milkweed, for instance, is vital to the larval stages of Monarch butterflies. Plant them in an inconspicuous place if you prefer, but have them available for the pollinators.

• Avoid hybrid varieties. Many flowers that have been bread for beauty have lost the nectar or pollen that made them valuable to pollinators. Plants with double or triple rings of petals, or plants with unusual colors or variegated patterns are probably over-hybridized.

• Leave open patches of mud. Many ground-nesting bees need open patches of mud for their homes or for building materials.

• Provide a water source. It doesn’t need to be large or fancy. Just a wet spot under the end of a hose can help the insects.

• Avoid excessive mulch. Too much mulch blocks entry to the ground. Ground-burrowing insects often cannot penetrate a heavy layer of mulch.

• Add sea salt or wood ash to a bare patch of earth. Pollinators are often seen collecting minerals from salty or ashy areas. Your patch needn’t be large and it shouldn’t be overworked. If the insects need it, they will find it.

• Provide nesting sites. Collections of reeds or holes drilled in blocks of wood provide great nesting sites. Tubes or blocks should be replaced periodically to limit disease build-up.

• Leave dead trees and reeds standing. If a dead tree can safely be allowed to stand, it should be left as habit for bees, birds, and small rodents. Dead and standing reeds are a favorite of wild bees.

• Leave an unmowed patch of grass and weeds in a protected spot. Tall grass provides protection, shade, and hunting grounds for many species of pollinators. Some pollinators—such as hover flies—feed on insects as well as nectar, so they do best in a place that provides an alternate food source.

• Put a flower pot on every porch . . . and encourage your friends to do the same. The more plants that are available, the healthier our pollinators will be.

• Use no pesticides. Until we reduce dependence on pesticides, items 1-14 are all for naught.

Rusty

Yellow bumble bee on blackberry

Crocus

Here are eight simple ways to attract more bees—both native bees and honey bees—to your garden.

• Plant species that bloom in sequence. Just like any animal, bees need a constant supply of food. A garden containing blossoms throughout spring, winter, and fall will attract the greatest number of bees.

• Plant in clumps. It is easier to attract bees to a group of flowers than to a single flower. Each bee likes to collect pollen and/or nectar from many flowers of the same type.

• To attract a diversity of bees, plant species of many shapes and colors. Some bees—such as honey bees—don’t see much on the red end of the spectrum, so go heavier on the blues, whites, and yellows.

• Avoid highly inbred flowers. Clues to inbreeding include variegated flowers, flowers of unusual color, great size, long blooming period, or flowers known as “doubles” or “triples” with multiple sets of petals. In an effort to get particular effects, plant breeders often sacrifice the quality of nectar and pollen.

• Leave bare patches of earth. Many bees live beneath the ground or use mud for building. Mud not covered with mulch is essential.

• Maintain a “wild space” somewhere near your garden where grasses and weeds are allowed to grow to full height and remain undisturbed all winter long. Such an area provides habitat, nesting material, and shelter to wild bees.

• Provide a water source. All living things need water, and bees are no exception.

• Forget the pesticides and buy yourself a hoe. It’s better for them and better for you.

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The really cool thing, however, is that these flowers are loaded with deep blue pollen. The pollen is a good source of protein that is known to attract native bees, honey bees, hover flies, and lady bugs. The fragrant flowers bloom from March through May, depending on your location.

Bird’s eyes require little maintenance and will grow on poor-quality soil as long as it is well-drained. The plants do particularly well in hot and dry areas, but thrive easily in cooler climates as well. The plants will re-seed themselves but are not invasive. If you are interested in dry arrangements, bird’s eyes are known for holding their color, even after drying.

I haven’t grown many of these before (just those in a mix) but when I saw the blue pollen I quickly ordered a packet (actually a whole ounce) which I’m told is about 64,000 seeds. Hmm . . . that ought to do it.

Rusty

Bird's eyes showing blue pollen. Flickr photo by The Marmot.

The different species within the genera are very difficult to discern, but most people can learn to identify down to genus. That in itself is an accomplishment!

For instance, take the genus Andrena. The 1300 species in this genus are also called “mining bees” because they nest in the ground. Like most bee species, they are solitary, which means that all females are fertile and each one builds a nest by herself, provisions the nest with pollen and nectar, and lays the eggs. Unlike a honey bee colony, there are no workers, no honey production, nor any comb building.

The eggs hatch and the young bees progress through the larval stage to the pre-pupal stage before winter sets in. During the winter they remain in the pre-pupal stage until early spring when they complete their metamorphosis into adult bees, both male and female. The adults emerge from the ground, mate, and the females of this new generation begin to build their homes in a new underground chamber.

Solitary bees are often oligolectic, and Andrena bees are no exception. An oligolectic bee is one that collects pollen from only a select few plant species. Often these plants are very closely related—in the same family or even the same genus. In fact, some species of Andrena bees are monolectic, meaning they collect pollen from one—and only one—species of plant. It is easy to see that if that plant becomes rare or extinct, so does its pollinator. No wonder our wild bees are in trouble!

Andrena bees range from about 8-17 mm long. The females in this genus can be distinguished from other bees by the velvety patch of hair between the eyes and the antenna bases. They also have well-developed corbiculae—or pollen baskets—on the sides of the thorax and hind legs. Since the males do not collect pollen, they are not as hairy as the females. The males are also shorter and narrower than the females.

Because Andrena bees build their nests underground, they are adversely affected by farming practices such as tilling, plowing, disking, and spading. They also do not thrive in ground that has been completely cleared of vegetation because they like nesting sites that are protected from weather extremes by bushes or trees. Heavy mulch is also bad for Andrena bees because the females are not able to dig through mulch to get to the soil.

Needless to say, insecticides readily kill Andrena bees and herbicides kill the plants on which they are dependent. Maintaining a pesticide-free garden with plenty of bare soil and many plant varieties—including native species—is the best way to attract and conserve most native bees, including Andrena.

Rusty

Andrena fulva (female). Flickr photo by Mick E. Talbot.

Adrena haemorrhoa (female). Flickr photo by Mick E. Talbot.

Andrena (male). Flickr photo by jbaker5.

But there is one thing you can be sure of: the bees love it. The one small patch I have is absolutely loaded with bees—mostly bumble bees, but also small native bees and butterflies. I’ve seen each inflorescence heavy with five or six large bumble bees at once. I never get tired of watching them.

Goldenrod belongs to the Asteraceae family—the very large plant family that includes dandelions and daisies, tansy and thistles, artichokes and sunflowers—along with about 22,750 other species. Although most are herbaceous plants, some are shrubs, vines, and even trees.

About 100 species of goldenrod are native to North America. Since they flower late in the summer, they are an important source of both nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and some wasps. Nectar is most plentiful in years when there is abundant moisture before bloom time, and when bloom time remains warm and sunny. The honey is said to be light to medium amber with a spicy taste.

If you want to attract a variety of bees to your pollinator garden, goldenrod is a perfect choice. Use a tall species as a back border or a shorter species mixed in with Russian sage, purple agastache, or blue asters. Goldenrod likes full sun but is not picky about the soil as long as it drains freely and does not remain wet.

Rusty

Foraging bumble bees. Photo by the author.

Bumble bee on goldenrod. Photo by the author.

Sipping sweetness through a straw. Photo by the author.