NATIVE BEES
With these two essential styles, the combinations and looks can vary greatly.
Wooden Block Hotels To make your wooden block hotel, all you need is a block
of wood, preferably of a tree species that is native in origin to your area, and a drill with variably sized drill bits to make holes of the ideal dimensions.
Hollow Cane Hotels Take advantage of what nature provides, bundling togeth-
er hollow stems of bamboo or reeds. These can be packed tightly in a large container with one sealed end. A large bam- boo culm (the jointed “stem” of the bamboo where each culm segment begins and ends with a solid joint called a node), or empty metal coffee tin work brilliantly.
Critical Factors in Design Two factors will determine if your nests are readily inhab-
ited: the depth of the holes/hollow canes, and their diameter. Generally, the longer the better. Native bees typically build nests with sequential cells, provisioning each cell with food resources of nectar and pollen and then laying an egg, before adding a wall partition. Extra length equates to more individ- ual cells the mother can build. If the hole is too short, the female bee can only construct a few cells. Since female bees lay female offspring in the inner-most cells, and males in the outermost, shorter nests also increase the chance that there will be an uneven sex ratio, creating a disproportionate sex bias in the offspring. There are lots of critters that like to plunder the rich
stores of cavity-nesting bees or parasitize the nest. Shorter nests make it easier for the entire tube to be parasitized or plundered. Generally, most scientists recommend holes at least 100mm deep. Diameter also plays a critical role in nest site acceptance and success. Anything over 12mm, and most bees will con- sider it a one-star hotel and check-in elsewhere. Bees like to nest in holes that are slightly larger than their own body diameters, which means between 3mm-11mm, depending
Megachile ignita with her shock of red hairs on her head
on the species. In my own research, I have found that 4mm and 7mm holes or canes attract the most occupants. Since most likely you don’t know what species live in your neck of the woods, it’s best to include a range of hole diameters. This way a greater number of species will check out the new abode you’ve provided.
Who Uses Bee Hotels?
and deep. Time to see who checks in! I love spying on the bees that come to create a nursery in the nesting habitat I’ve provided. Waiting quietly, about two meters away, I’ll see Mrs. Megachile aurifrons, with her ruby red eyes, come zipping in. holes to give it an inspection. Often, she’ll check out a few holes. If she’s found one to her liking, over the next few days, she’ll go to and from her chosen “room” in the hotel, as she forages for nectar and pollen. She sequentially provisions her nest with food for her babies and lays a precious egg in each chamber. Once completed, instead of returning with nectar and pollen, she brings back chewed up plant material to seal up her nest. Then there’s her relative, Mrs. Megachile ignita, who
- Megachile ignita is unique in that she likes to provide insulation for her offspring, packing the nest with fuzz from Banksia cones. She seals her nest up with resin she collects from sap that weeps out of Eucalyptus trees. Another relative of these ladies, and popular among al-
falfa growers, that readers from the USA may know, is Mrs. Megachile (Eutricharaea) rotunda, commonly known as the alfalfa leafcutter bee. She, and other megachilids in the sub- genus Eutricharaea, have special mandibles – jaws – that let them cut out perfect discs from leaves and petals. These bees are interior decorators, lining the nursery with their trimmed greenery. If it looks like someone has been cutting out con- fetti pieces from your roses, she’ll be the culprit. All these species come from the family Megachilidae,
41 Megachile (Eutricharaea) sp., male
© Kit Prendergast
© Kit Prendergast
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