Co-op Kids: Build a Pollinator Hotel
If you started seeds and plan to keep a garden, drawing pollinating insects to your space can be really beneficial. Providing a habitat for pollinators and flowering plants to feed them helps sustain and support our wild pollinator species and can increase the yield of your crops! Wild or native bees are primarily responsible for pollination of our garden plants, ornamentals, and wildflowers.
Bees have two primary needs: food and shelter. Flowering plants provide pollen, and by building a pollinator house, you can provide them with shelter! Building a bug hotel or bee house is a great way to give native pollinators a reason to hang out in your garden. You will need some supplies that you can probably find in your house. If you're feeling fancy, there are more in depth plans available online to use materials such as bamboo to make a long-lasting insect hotel.
Materials
Toilet paper rolls (2-3)
Scrap paper between 5 and 8 inches long
Large can or frame of some sort--plant pot, a coffee can, or even a 28 oz. can from tomatoes will do.
Non-toxic glue or tape
A pen, pencil or wooden dowel
Optional: black or bright blue paint
Process
You want to take the scrap paper and wrap it around the pencil and glue or tape the edge of the paper to make narrow tubes, anywhere from 1/8" to 1/2" in diameter. You’ll want to go around the pencil at least 5 times to create a solid structure for the pollinators to use.
Repeat the process until you have at least 30 narrow tubes.
Stuff the narrow tubes into the toilet paper rolls until you can't fit anymore.
Place the rolls into the larger container, adding more narrow paper tubes into the gaps.
If you want to paint the faces of some of the tunnels black or blue, it can help bees recognize and differentiate their nests. Many solitary bees or wasps will plug the end of the tunnel with mud or leaf litter when they move in or use the nest to lay eggs, so you’ll be able to tell when they’re in use!
Once you have constructed your bee hotel, make sure you put it in a safe place. Using a can or frame made from wood or plastic, not cardboard, will ensure insects are protected from rain and moisture. If possible, install your bee hotel 4-5 feet above the ground, facing south or southeast. This will give the hotel early morning sun to warm up and protect it from the hottest afternoon sun. If building a bug hotel from scratch seems overwhelming, we do offer a selection of pre-made options at the co-op.
For more information on how to create pollinator habitats and support wild and native pollinator species, check out our friends at the Pollinator Friendly Alliance.