I wanted to share my fabulous Bee Hotel with you. Jake my son, bought this hotel for my birthday. I was so happy with this present and found a nice sheltered place in the garden. I have to confess, I didn’t expect it to become occupied too quickly, as a Ladybird House I had placed in the garden was totally ignored by any passing Ladybirds – but how wrong I was!
Just weeks later it was full of Leaf Cutter Bees and it was amazing to see them flying with pieces of leaf they had cut from the plants to seal the entrance of each ‘tube’ where they had laid their eggs.
I didn’t know a lot about Leaf Cutter Bees and decided to do a little research. I was a bit shocked to see questions on google about how people could get rid of them. Get rid of them! That wasn’t something I wanted to do; these bees are just as important as Honey Bees for pollination. In our garden they have been left alone to hatch and grow into adult bees that will contribute towards pollination, helping fruit production for this year.
I hope that everyone gives Leaf Cutter Bees and any other Solitary Bees space in their garden. If you aren’t lucky enough to be given one of these hotels as a gift, here you can find details about how to build one of your own: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/nature-on-your-doorstep/garden-activities/buildabeebandb/
Happy hotel building!