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How to Build a Wooden Bee Hotel

This wooden bee hotel is designed specifically for solitary bees, such as mason bees and leafcutter bees. These bees don’t live in hives like honeybees—they live alone and nest in small holes or crevices. A bee hotel like this gives them a safe place to lay their eggs and help support the local pollinator population.

Materials Needed
• Wood size:
• Length: 350mm
• Width: 35mm
• Depth: 70mm
• Saw (for angled top)
• Drill with wood bits (various sizes)
• Sandpaper
• Exterior wood preservative (natural, bee-safe)
• Nails or screws (for the roof)
• Small piece of waterproof wood or tile for the roof

Instructions
1. Cut the Main Body
Start with a solid block of untreated wood with the dimensions: 350mm long, 70mm deep, and 35mm wide.
2. Angle the Top Section
Saw the top of the wooden block at a 15-degree angle to allow rain to run off. This is where the roof will be mounted.
3. Drill the Nesting Holes
Drill holes into the front face of the wood, using various sizes of drill bits (typically 2mm to 10mm diameter).
• Drill to different depths, up to 70mm deep, but do not drill all the way through the wood.
• Space the holes apart slightly to give bees room.
4. Smooth the Holes
Sand the entrance of each hole and the front face of the wood to remove any splinters that could harm the bees’ wings.
5. Attach the Roof
Cut a small piece of wood or tile to use as a roof, sized to overhang the bee hotel slightly.
• Attach this at the 15-degree angle with screws or nails.
• Apply a wood preservative to the roof to protect against weathering, but avoid treating the main body of the hotel—natural wood is better and safer for the bees.
6. Mounting Your Bee Hotel
• Place the hotel in a sunny, dry spot, ideally facing south or southeast.
• Mount it at least 1 metre off the ground, attached to a post, fence, or wall.
• Keep it stable and sheltered from heavy rain and strong winds.

How Solitary Bees Use the Hotel

Solitary bees are gentle, non-aggressive pollinators. Unlike honeybees or bumblebees, they don’t form large colonies or produce honey. Each female bee is her own queen.

Here’s how they use the bee hotel:
1. Finding a Home
A female bee selects a hole and starts to build her nest inside. She may carry in mud or leaf pieces, depending on the species.
2. Laying Eggs
She lays an egg at the back of the hole, then brings in pollen and nectar to feed the developing larva. She seals it off with a plug of mud or chewed-up leaves, then repeats the process—layer by layer—until the hole is full.
3. Sealing the Nest
Once finished, she seals the front with a final plug. The young bees develop inside over many months, often overwintering.
4. New Life in Spring
In spring or early summer, the new bees emerge and the cycle begins again.

This simple bee hotel not only helps bees survive and thrive but also gives you a chance to support biodiversity in your own garden. Over time, you’ll begin to notice bees visiting, and you’ll be giving back to nature in a small but meaningful way.