Bee a Buddy: Tips for Bee Boxes
The Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve hosted an event April 8 to build bee boxes for native pollinators in the estuary and Reserve. It was wonderful to see everyone so enthusiastic about the local bees! Thank you all for your show of support.
If you were unable to attend the event but would still like to build a bee box here there are a variety of ways to do so. The simplest way is to not construct a bee box at all- leaving hollow reeds stacked in your yard will give bees tunnels to nest in, and this method is very low maintenance.
If you would prefer to construct a box yourself here are the parts of a successful bee box.
A simple box design. The extended back provides an area to drill into for hanging.
Roof - Keep the bees nice and dry! Some plans accomplish this by making both the walls and ceiling longer than the tubes, to protect from rain blown in from the side. A more standard roof with an overhang works as well.
Nesting tubes - Native bees are solitary nesters, which means they do not build hives like European honeybees. Some, such as bumblebees, nest in ground tunnels, and some nest in tunnels that they find in wood or hollow reeds. Providing these tunnels is what attracts the bees to a bee box.
Nesting tube material - Plastic straws are not an effective material, because no moisture can escape and mold can build up very quickly. Other options include paper straws, rolled up paper bags or scratch paper, bamboo, or hollow reeds. The back end of the tube should be blocked off by clay, mud, or another material to protect from parasites.
Nesting tube length and diameter - Ideally they should be 5-6 inches long, and around 0.25 inches in diameter. The sex of the bees is determined by where in the tunnel they are laid, and if the tube is too short only males will hatch. The width is more flexible. 0.25 inches is a good middle ground, but if the tubes are slightly wider or narrower then they will simply attract different species of bees.
Gathered together to make bee boxes
Emergence box - In the fall the filled nesting tubes should be removed from the bee box and kept in a hatching box in an unheated garage or tucked away from the elements outdoors. In the spring refill the bee box with fresh tubes, and place the emergence box nearby with a hole cut in it to allow the baby bees to exit when they hatch. No need to make a second box- this once can be regular cardboard.
Placement - Place the box facing the sun, around 3-5 feet off the ground, and located nearby a source of pollen and mud. Hanging by a wire or string is not recommended, because if the box moves in the wind then the eggs inside can be harmed. Nailing or screwing the box to a fence, post, or other stationary structure is preferable.
Decorations - Bees are visual learners, which means if you decorate the box with bright colors it helps them remember where their nest is. It also makes it much more fun! Pinks, reds, and oranges are good, because many flowers that bees like share those colors.
Further reading:
Stubbs, C.S. et al. 2000. 301-Field Conservation Management of Native Leafcutting and Mason Osmia Bees - Cooperative Extension: Maine Wild Blueberries
Purrington, C. 2019. Guide to building and managing a mason bee hotel (Includes links to a variety of other very useful resources)
Bauer, E.C., L.I. Lynch, D.A. Golick, and T.J. Weissling. 2015. Creating a Solitary Bee Hotel (Provides information on tube diameters and how wide tubes must be to attract specific species)
Mader, E., M. Shepherd, M. Vaughan, and J. Guisse. 2013. Tunnel Nests for Native Bees
Adamson, N.L. et al. 2017. Great Lakes Region (Information on plants that will attract bees)
Young, B. E., D. F. Schweitzer, N. A. Sears, and M. F. Ormes. 2015. Conservation and Management of NORTH AMERICAN MASON BEES