Bees help improve a garden’s productivity so it pays to encourage them into your space.
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Sophie built a large-scale bee ‘hotel’ a few years ago but she’s adding some smaller “B&Bs” as well - this can sometimes be a better way of providing bee habitat, as it is less likely to attract predatory insects that prey on bees.
With more than 1600 native bee specie in Australia, there’s no one size of accommodation that fits all, so Sophie creates three different styles of ‘boutique’ Bee-grade hotels.
Don’t forget to plant a bee restaurant, full of pollen-rich plants, to attract bees to your garden in the first place!
Living in the Sticks
Resin bees, Leaf-cutter bees and Carpenter Bees are all build nests in hollow, dead pithy stems, branches or tree trunks. In nature, this may be a grasstree spike, or a banksia trunk, but you can replicate by bundling together hollow stalks.
What you need:
Stems of bamboo, fennel and even lantana.
A plastic bottle or empty tin
Sandpaper
What you do:
Cut stalks into sections between 10 - 15cm, leaving an enclosed section at the end to encourage bees to build a nest (you can create a barrier in the bottle if required). Sand back any sharp ends at the ends of sawn bamboo.
Bundle your stems into the plastic bottle, with the bottom removed, or long tin which is open at one end.
Using string or wire, hang your stem bundle about a metre off the ground, in a protected spot. Good morning sun with protection from wind and weather is ideal.
The Block Suite
Leaf cutters, resin bees, Wasp Mimic Bees and Masked bees, might nest in The Block, - that is, a block of wood with holes in.
What you need:
Untreated wood block - roughly 150mm x 50mm with a depth of 140mm. You could also use a dead tree stump or thick branch.
Long wood drillbits in various sizes, 3mm - 8mm
Sandpaper
What you do:
Drill holes to a depth of 10mm. A mix of holes sizes is a good idea. Tape or mark the drill bit at 10cm from the tip as the depth guide. You may not be able to drill the entire hole at once if you have to clean out the sawdust as you go.
Space each hole at least 2cm apart, avoiding straight lines. Mimic the random patterns of nature.
Holes should be smooth inside. Smooth the hole entrance with a file or sandpaper. Burrs will put off bees.
Again, find a protected spot that gets morning sun and is about 1m off the ground. A windowsill would work, as would a tree. You can tie it up, or use a hook, whatever suits your conditions. Add a roof if it needs extra protection from rain.
Mud brick
Blue-banded bees are the bricks and mortar type! They dig their nests in clay rich soils and they will even nest in between broken mortar on your house. Sophie will make mud bricks for the species.
What you need:
Brickie sand
Garden clay
Hammer (optional)
Sieve
Electric paint stirrer to mix (optional)
Frames - can be 90mm square PVC pipe, earthen pipes, extruded bricks, round pipes, or wood.
What you do:
Cut PVC lengths of pipe at least 10cm long.
Pulverize the clay with a hammer if it is very lumpy then sift it to remove rocks and sticks.
Mix 7 parts of sand to 1 part of garden clay (or clay powder).
Sophie uses a paint-stirring attachment on a drill combine the dry clay and sand, but you can use a stick or any other stirrer. Gradually add water, while stirring, until the mix is all wet, thick paste, but not sodden.
Fill the container frames; stand the frame on something solid while the clay dries a little.
After some drying, but while still soft, use a pencil, poker or stick to poke holes that are 6-7mm in diameter and about 6-10cm long.
Drying time will depends on the temperature. You may be able to slide the block out of the casing, but you can also leave it in permanently.
Position blocks in a dry location with morning sun, at a low level. It’s good to group a few together. They can be placed beside buildings, fences, in existing stonewalls, out of way of heavy rain.
You can also secure a long trailing stem down from one of the blocks, such as a piece of grass or potted a vine. If you are lucky, the blue-banded bees will roost here at night.
Filmed on Peramangk Country in Adelaide, SA
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22 мар 2021
