How to make a bee hotel - step by step
When most people think about bees, they think about our social species – the honey bee and the bumble bee. But actually there are over 240 other species of bee in the UK and these are solitary or wild bees. Solitary bees can be split up into two groups depending on where they like to nest. Those that like to nest in the ground and those that like to nest in cavity spaces.
Two solitary bees you’ll often find in the garden are the Red Mason Bee and the Leaf-cutting Bee and they are prolific pollinators. Recent research suggests that they can pollinate up to 120 times more than honey bees – so it’s a great idea to help them thrive!
One way you can help these bees is to put up a ‘bee hotel’ in your garden. These are safe little spaces for them to nest and you can either buy one or create your own. The good news is that it is much easier (and cheaper) than you might think to make a bee hotel and it involves upcycling – so it’s great for the environment in more ways than one!
Spring time is the perfect time to build a bee hotel, because it is when solitary bees are looking for a new home. The little holes are perfect places to live and also to lay their eggs – they are warm, sheltered and safe from predators.
It’s also the Easter holidays coming up, so this would be a fun activity to keep the kids occupied and to teach them about bees and the environment at the same time. Click here for more information on bees.
All you need is an empty plastic bottle or an old plant pot, some bamboo cane and some string – that’s it! This morning, I spent a couple of hours building my own in the back garden and I can’t reiterate how easy it is – even if you’re not great at DIY like me!
My simple step by step guide
What you'll need:
Plastic bottle bee hotel (easy):
- 1 x empty plastic bottle or ceramic plant pot
- Enough bamboo cane to fill your plastic bottle
- Some string
- A pair of secateurs
Plant pot bee hotel (easy/intermediate):
- 1 x empty plastic bottle or ceramic plant pot
- Enough bamboo cane and logs to fill your pot - you'll want a mixture
- Some string
- A pair of secateurs, a saw and a drill
(You can pick up bamboo cane and logs from your local hardware store, B&Q or shops like B&M Bargains)
How to do it:
First, select your container
Up-cycling is great, because you are giving new life to something and it's super cheap too. You can either use an empty plastic bottle or an old plant pot. If you are using a plastic bottle, use the following steps. If you are using a plant pot, skip further down the page.
PLASTIC BOTTLE BEE HOTEL
1. Take the label off your bottle
2. Use scissors or a knife with a serrated edge to cut off the pouring end. You will end up with a cylinder with a hole on one side.
3. If there are rough edges, use sandpaper to smooth off. If you are doing this with children, if might be best for an adult to do this part.
4. Measure the length of your bottle
5. Measure and mark the same length on your bamboo canes
PLANT POT BEE HOTEL
It is far from ecologically sound to go and buy bamboo canes that have been imported from across the world. It is also unnecessary, as many native wild and garden plant stems are hollow, and quite robust enough to serve for a year in a bee hotel. Another consideration is that the diameter of hollow stems needs to vary, to attract different species, so a variety of stem types is best.
Thank you so much for a very informative description on how to make a bee hotel. I will definitely be making a few to hang and put lower down in a folower pot. Once again thank you and keep the good work up.