If you have used a bee hotel made using bamboo or cardboard tubes you will know that although you can see the bees coming and going you can’t see what is going on inside the tubes. With this bee hotel, you can watch every stage of the bee’s life cycle.
There are two main species of solitary bee that will use the hotel. The mason bees emerge in April/May. Later, in July/August you can hope to see leaf cutter bees.
Mason bees eat their way out of the cocoons that they have overwintered in, mate, and then search for somewhere to nest. When they find the hotel with its ready-to-use chambers the female bee starts to lay in a supply of pollen and nectar, piling it up at the back of the hole. When she considers there is sufficient food laid in for her offspring she lays a single egg and seals off the chamber with mud, (hence the name Mason Bee). She continues doing this until the chamber is full all the way to the entrance which she also seals off with mud.
Very soon the eggs hatch and the larvae proceeds to eat the food left for them. They grow very rapidly until they nearly fill the chambers.
The larvae then spin a tough silk cocoon, inside which they transform into adult bees. You may notice that the cocoons nearest the entrance are smaller, this is because they are males, they come out first the following year in order to be ready to mate as soon as the females emerge.
Leaf cutter bees follow a similar but not identical life cycle but use leaves from nearby plants, rather than mud.
You may also see potter wasps using the chambers towards the end of Summer, they craft mud chambers like the bees except they completely enclose their offspring so you won't be able to see inside.
"Beautifully made. Sturdy and practical. I have put it up into position ready for some solitary bees! It is very heavy but can be secured safely with the screws and fixings provided. Many thanks."
"Delighted with item beautifully made looks great looking forward to seeing the bees using it great ebayer thank you."
"Strong construction. Great looking. Bonus of information leaflet. Good value for money. Really pleased with purchase. Recommend, if you’re looking for a bee house, that you buy this one."
I hand-build the hotels in my North Devon Workshop.
The hotel is made of ordinary, untreated Pinewood, stained with brown water-based colour.
The roof is made of cement fibre slate, covered with high-quality roofing felt with a green mineral finish. The roof has large overhangs to provide rain protection to the hotel and the nest chambers inside.
The hotel is supplied with a hanging bracket and screws.
Inside is a carrier for the five observation trays which are fitted with clear acrylic panels so that you can see what is happening inside the nest chambers. There are five nest chambers on each tray for a total of 25 chambers.
Can be cleaned and used year after year.
