A ‘bee hotel’ may sound like a strange idea, but it is simply a nest for bees of different species. It offers a practical way of attracting pollinators to your farm, or garden. The bee hotel could consist of just a tube filled with hollow reeds, or be more complex.

Hollow reeds are very appealing to leafcutter bees, and other solitary bees. Larger hollow reeds, and dry wood will attract carpenter bees that are likely to use the nest from year to year.

Packed earth will draw a wide range of ground nesting bees.

Set your bee hotel at the edge of the farm, within strips of wildflowers, or even in erosion control areas where you have cultivated. Beans, cowpeas, pigeon peas, traditional vegetables, passionfruit, coffee, aubergines, tomatoes, watermelons, and pumpkins— are some of the crops that will benefit from the construction of your bee hotel.

C.NJOKI

 

 A bee hotel can be constructed from simple materials, and create nesting habitat for bees.