Making a bee hotel for your own garden doesn’t have to be difficult at all. Maybe you think now, no way I want bees in my garden! But think twice. Bees are an essential part of our society. Bees make a major contribution to the atomization. This is a super important part of our agriculture. And don’t forget without bees, no honey.
SALT& stands for sustainable business and life. Recently I became a volunteer for the beekeeping foundation. How beautiful would it be if we could help the bee together! We happy, bee happy! By making a bee hotel yourself and hanging it in your garden, you will have chance to help keeping the bee alive.
What is a bee hotel?
First of all I will go into the matter with you, because what is a bee hotel actually? A bee hotel is a place where bees can lay eggs. Bees lay their eggs in corridors. This can be in a tree, in which a little ganger is made by another insect, in the ground in a little ganger they made themselves, or in a bee hotel. The bee lays the egg in the hallway, metes it close and 2 to 4 weeks later the egg comes out.
It is increasingly difficult for the bee to find a good place to lay the eggs. This is mainly due to man. It is time to help them and make a bee hotel for them.
Build a bee hotel
Bee hotels are available in many types and sizes. The big advantage of making a hotel yourself is that you decide what it will look like. But, don’t forget you’re making it for the bee, not for yourself. It is important that the hotel is in line with the wishes of the bee. In many shops, bee hotels are for sale which usually look nice, but are not ideal for the bee. Often the diameter is too large, or the ganges are open on both sides. Pine apples are also regularly used. This gives a nice look, but for bees this is not really relevant. Now that you know this you can get started with making your own bee hotel.
1. Use the right material
Bees lay their eggs in hollow geese. Perfect material for a hotel is therefore bamboo. Also reed, burr, nettles and roses are very popular to use in a bee hotel. To make the bee hotel a bit more varied you can also drill holes in a trunk yourself. Be sure to make them the right size from 2 to 12 millimeters. As far as the walls are concerned, you can actually use anything that is solid. You can choose wood, but also PVC or tin. For the roof it is super important that this keeps the hotel dry from inside.
2. The corridors
In making the corridors a number of things are important. In addition to the correct diameter, it is also essential that the corridors at the back are closed. The length of the corridor must be at least 3 centimeters and at most 20 centimeters. The more different types and sizes of corridors there are in your hotel, the more different types of bees get on. To ensure that the wings of the bees do not damage, the openings and corridors must be smooth. If you don’t take care of this, the bee will skip your bee hotel to protect itself.
3. The best place for the bee hotel
The place where the hotel is located is very important. Hang the hotel in a dry place, out of the wind, preferably south facing. For the bee it is nice if the hotel is a little sheltered.
Did you know that bee mortality is increasing sharply every year? Scientists are deeply concerned about this. By making a bee hotel and hanging out in your garden, the bee has a safe place for her eggs and can continue to do her precious work.
Do you want to encourage other people to think more about the bee? Send your loved ones a Bee Postcard with a nice message on it.