A little post about solitary bee boxes as I get a lot of questions about these, the most common being...
I brought a bee box this year but why is nothing using it?
First things first it's amazing how many people are wanting to put these up it's becoming more and more popular and the bees and I are just loving it. So here are some pointers when buying bee boxes look for boxes that contain one type of home, buying bee boxes that contain different materials for different pollinators can cause problems with pests and diseases so try to go for different materials but in separate boxes, e.g. one box with bamboo canes, one box with bark another with straw etc. Bees like it warm so find the sunniest spot possible in your garden south facing walls are perfect, some solitary bees search for nest sites low down so place them at different levels to attract different species of bees. I have lots of solitary bee boxes dotted around and it can take a couple of years for them to start being used and each year they get a little busier, so hang on in there like anything in nature patients is a virtue, it takes time but is super rewarding. Once you have selected your site for your bee box make sure you keep planting a variety of flower shapes for all shapes and sizes of bees, it's worth noting if there are enough natural nests sites available they will likely favour these over the bee boxes but if it is successful you can get all sorts of bees coming to lay eggs at different times of the year! If you have busy bee boxes let us know your success stories or if you don't seem to get any bees feel free to let us know and we can help advise on what you can do to increase your chances.
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