How do I attract and provide homes for bees?
Question:
I want to make some bee hotels for my yard in Old Town. However, I don’t know which species are best for gardens and their nesting preferences. I want to ensure that I am attracting/homing the right bees.
Answer:
Tori Lee Jackson, Extension Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties Office
Bee hotels are generally designed for solitary stem nesting or tunneling bee species, like leaf cutting bees or miner bees, so those are the ones this type of habitat will attract. Bulletin #7153, Understanding Native Bees, the Great Pollinators: Enhancing Their Habitat in Maine includes some great information on Maine’s native bees and how you can encourage them in your home landscape. Building and Managing Bee Hotels for Wild Bees, from Michigan State University is another great resource.