Ken Smithie to spoke at our April meeting about Bee Hotels. Ken is from the Croydon Hills Men Shed, where they make Bee Hotels of various size and style for the many orders they receive.
Ken explained the purpose of a Bee Hotel is to provide a safe haven for native bees to lay their eggs in. Native Bees do not have a hive and by providing a bee hotel in the garden the benefits are many. Firstly, it will attract many of the 300 species of native bees and important insects to the garden. This in turn will assist with a more productive garden and less reliance on using insecticides, resulting with a healthier environment.
It is best to place the Bee Hotel facing North East in a sheltered position where it is protected from the rain and hot sun. Place it about 1 metre high above ground.
To attract bees and insects to the garden, provide water and plant the plants that will attract them, such as brachysomes, lavender, flowering gum, pincushion hakea, tea tree, purple coral pea, grevillia pink surprise, sage salvia, native rosemary, bottlebrush callisteon.
Maintenance of a bee hotel is essential, not only for the health of the bees that use it, but also to extend the life of the hotel itself. Clean the hotel every year by cleaning or replacing tunnels.
Ken brought in a few examples of bee hotels he makes to show members and to demonstrate the various materials that can be used in the construction.
Ken kindly donated a bee hotel to raffle
