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DeeBee

New Bee
Joined
Apr 29, 2012
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Location
Southern Lincolnshire
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Dear members, I would love to be a Bee keeper but sadly my location is not suitable. My friend has a Bee Hotel in his garden and it attracts Mason Bees. He is having great sucess watching and providing a breeding home for them. He bought for me a Bee Hotel from Costco (£11.99) and I am going to locate it on my SE facing wall of my house. It is sunny for a couple of hours in the morning, also sheltered from the SW winds. Alternatively I could place it on the same wall but unsheltered with full sun till 3pm. Which would be best please. I have plenty of soil and water to mix their mud 6 meters from the hotel. Also am I right in thinking about 7 feet from the ground? Please can you advise me as Bees are so important. Regards DB.
 

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Hi DeeBee, I would go with the more sheltered site personally. If they don't go for it, you could move it to the full sun site and see how it goes. Or make/buy another house and put it up in a different location. Happy bee watching!
 
Actually, I think you will find that Mason Bees prefer a sunny south facing wall for locating their 'burrows', so I would go for the less sheltered spot in full sun.

They make use of exsting cavities such as the tubes in your bee hotel and then just plug the entrance with the mud. Up in the air is good as they are then out of your way although they will nest anywhere (even at ground level) if they find a suitable home. The bee hotel can also attract lots of other solitary bees - they are mostly harmless and rarely sting, even if they do their stings are hardly noticeable as their stingers are not barbed. They are a joy to watch and one of our endangered species so good on you for giving them a helping hand.
 
Ours like full sun exposed to prevailing winds in sun from 10.30 til sundown. They use the holes for the screws in our Hose-lock housing. It is 2’ off the ground.


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Thank you all for your advice I do appreciate it. I will install the Bee Hotel as soon as possible as the Bee activity in my garden is getting very busy. Regards DB.
 
A word of warning: woodpeckers LOVE bee hotels - at least round here. They destroy them to get at the grubs. Wire mesh it if any risk of them.
 
Actually, I think you will find that Mason Bees prefer a sunny south facing wall for locating their 'burrows', so I would go for the less sheltered spot in full sun.

You may not even attract mason bees unless their three requirements all occur in their small territory...nectar/holes and mud! No mud nearby no mason bees nests. You can always purchase Mason bee mud if you have non, from here for example
 
Drill a few 6mm holes in posts around your garden, we have Masons and Leaf Cutters and always see them checking out screw holes. Plant a Rambling or Climbing Rose and I guarantee you will get Leaf Cutters.
 
selling MUD! Isn't that a bit like selling air?

Only if you live darn sarht where air is less expensive than North Yorkshire Air. I can send you several sample jars if you are happy to pay postage. It's quite light.
:sunning:
 
Only if you live darn sarht where air is less expensive than North Yorkshire Air. I can send you several sample jars if you are happy to pay postage. It's quite light.
:sunning:

Only if its "Native" air. I don't want any imported stuff or "product of EU and non-EU Countries" :icon_204-2:
 
Only if its "Native" air. I don't want any imported stuff or "product of EU and non-EU Countries" :icon_204-2:

It has to be clean air to you might have a product there .
More spraying going on in the valley its not very clean!
:hairpull:
 

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