Our friendly bees help so much in the garden and they don't ask for much. A few flowers all season for food and maybe some place to build a home.
This Spring I decided to try making a bee house. If you search, there are many sites with plans and instructions. Basically, these holes in wood are where many solitary bees will place their eggs for the next generation. I made a few different blocks, but this one turned out be busy.
Lots of foliage near by for the leaf cutters.
It was interesting to check every few days to spot activity. Here, in late June looks like leaf cutters were moving in.
A month later a few more hole were filled, and some were hatched.
At the end of the season, this house is pretty full. I have another double block next to this one, but only one space was filled.
I have really enjoyed the bees in the garden this year. Seems like a large number of bumble bees around. But there were also many smaller ones. I was very happy when some decided to use the house I made. The spot is protected under the eastern overhang of a shed roof -- next a mixed "wildflower" bed.
I hope to see the other homes fill in next year.
8 comments:
Hi Chris....lovely...what a perfect place for a solitary bee unit.....they will thank you next Spring......they will re-use the units once they have mated......
and pollinate all your early blooms......
Cheryl...I will be excited to see their activities next spring. It has been nice to watch them as they build and move about.
That is really neat...that you provided some bees a home. I love to hear them buzzing, and it makes for a healthy garden.
Connie, yes...some of our other garden helpers are less visible and less audible. It's a pleasant sort of hum in the background. I am glad to give the bees more reasons to stick around.
We've had a large number of bumble bees this year too. I have a hive of honey bees here on the farm that swarmed this spring. That was neat to see.
Marnie
Wonderful bee box!
Mine is full right now too with Mason Bee eggs. I think next year I will do two boxes...never too many bees.
Sherry
Marnie...That's sound exciting, and fun/useful to have the honey bees there. We really don't see that many in the yard -- always just a few through the season.
Hi Sherry...I thought it was time to make one. I will have to pay more attention and see who moves in.
I like all the bees...and through patience I'm even converting a few friends and family. So many seem to be influenced by all the bad bee movies they watched.
Post a Comment