BBC - CBBC Wild - Makes - Bee Box

How to make a bee box

Materials

Bees are great garden helpers. Some species such as honey bees live together while others like mason bees prefer to live alone. To encourage solitary bees to your garden why not build them a bee home. You'll need:

Hollow twigs or bamboo (buddleia stems are good)
A container such as an old coffee tin or sturdy flower pot
Modelling clay
String or garden wire (and possibly insulation tape)

Block holes of flower pot with modelling clay

You need to use a fairly sturdy container, coffee tins are ideal (remember to wash it first)
If you are using a flower pot block up any holes so that water can’t get in

Attach string to the container

Attach the string or wire securely to the container
You need the open end of your bee home to slope down slightly when hanging up
You can tie string/wire around the outside of the pot or make a hole and thread the string through with a knot on the inside
Make sure that the string/wire is securely fixed (you could fix it with insulation tape)

Fill the container with hollow stems

Cut the hollow sticks slightly shorter than your container (you may need an adult to help with this)
Put modelling clay at the bottom of the container
Now fix the sticks to the bottom of the tin by sticking them into the clay
Keep adding sticks until the container is completely full

Hang your container up in a sunny spot

Now all you need is a tree or post to hang your bee home from
Make sure that your bee box faces south (so that the sun hits it) and that it's in full sunlight
Point the entrance down slightly so that your bees don't get wet!

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