We Have a Vacancy: Building a Bug Hotel for Solitary Bees

Cool Project for helping out our bees. I am putting this one on my wish list. Thank you James Gielow for the original post on Mind Your Dirt.

We Have a Vacancy: Building a Bug Hotel for Solitary Bees

Woodworking plans and directions are provided by James Gielow. Way to go James.

Mind Your Dirt

Now here’s a project that doesn’t take too much time and is simply perfect for the whole family. The materials used for this are all items you can hunt for in parks or woods and make for a great excuse to go on a hike. With a little help from adults, kids can have a blast assembling these amazing and beneficial homes.

What I’m looking to attract are solitary bees. Many people think that honey bees and bumble bees are the only types of bees around. The fact is that they only represent about 10% of the bee species around and aren’t even native to North America. A majority of bees don’t make honey, but one thing that they do make is excellent pollinators!

Just one solitary bee, like the mason bee, can do the pollination work of 120 honey bees! They lack the little pollen baskets that honey bees have…

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About Caliche Chick

I retired from a career as an Environmental Scientist and Botanist. My first career was teaching science and English as a Second Language (ESL), and content classes for ESL students at the middle school level. I also taught introductory biology at the community college level. I have an avid interest in plants that grow with little to no irrigation. I also keep a vegetable garden, fruit trees, and back yard chickens. When I am not in my yard or and working on my "fixer upper" home, I am working as an Apprentice Glazier

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