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Did you know that most of your Insect hotels are not fit for purpose? @SeanHort1 & I have an article in the @rhsirl Journal showing what you need to take special note of. (Thanks for the photo @PaddyTobin5 ;)
First, small bee hotels are best because large bee hotels increase the incidence of bee pest and disease due to high populations of bees nesting together, with parasitic wasps being a particular threat. Here is one @SeanHort1 (& Cian K) built to scientific spec...
Second, the material used for nesting tubes is critical. Common reed, or bamboo are best, but these must be cut at a node to create a closed-ended nesting tube. An open-ended tube with the node removed increases the risk that predators & parasites can gain entry from the back.
Third, the length of these hollow plant stems must be between 100mm & 150mm & their internal diameters must be a mix of between 4-8 mm to accommodate bees of different sizes. For example, Megachile bees prefer a diameter of 6-8mm while smaller bee such as the Hylaeus prefer 4-5mm
Fourth, the cut end of the bamboo or reed must be free of wood fibers as a result of using blunt blades.
Fifth, the orientation of the bee hotel entrance must face south or south-east and be attached firmly to a wall or post at least 1.5m above ground. This gives the developing young some warmth from the morning sun and shelters them from harsh northerly and easterly winds
Sixth, the housing of your bee hotel should be waterproof. Wood is not a suitable external housing material for Irish conditions as its porous nature can lead to damp internal conditions that encourage fungal and bacterial diseases which may endanger the developing young bees.
Finally, your bee hotel should be maintained each year & any previously inhabited bamboo or reed cavity replaced to ensure pests & disease levels do not build up. Given all these requirements, it is no wonder many of the bee hotels we see in Irish gardens have plenty of vacancies
Solitary bees forage within 100-300m of their nesting sites so when choosing to put a bee hotel in your garden, nectar and pollen-rich flowers must be available for the bees to forage on in the surrounding landscape.
The @PollinatorPlan is your go-to place for lots of information on gardening for pollinators. You could check out our BeesBnB Instagram account too & remember to log your biodiversity finds with @BioDataCentre !
https://www.instagram.com/beesbandb/
https://www.instagram.com/beesbandb/
Finally, if you're a student, the @rhsirl offer a year's subscription for €15. A bargain and you'll have made your money back after a few visits to a couple of their partner gardens.
