Michael Hargreaves
Why solitary bees deserve a spot in your garden
The UK is home to more than 250 species of wild bee, and the vast majority of them are solitary. Unlike honeybees, they don't live in colonies with a queen and workers. Instead, each female builds her own nest, lays her eggs, and leaves the next generation to fend for themselves. Mason bees, leafcutter bees and carpenter bees all need small cavities: hollow plant stems, beetle holes in dead wood, or gaps in old mortar. As tidy gardens and neat fences replace the messy corners these bees rely on, a bee hotel gives them a safe place to raise their young. It's one of the simplest and most rewarding upcycling projects you can make from a few scraps of wood.
Choosing the right offcuts
Start by raiding your scrap pile. You want untreated timber: pine, oak, ash, beech or even old floorboards will do. Avoid pressure-treated wood (often called tanalised), MDF, and anything with a painted or varnished surface. The chemicals and finishes can harm developing bees.
For a sturdy hotel, aim for a simple open-fronted box. A good size is 300mm wide, 200mm tall and 150mm deep. You can cut the pieces from 20mm thick timber. The back panel measures 300mm by 200mm. The top and bottom are 300mm by 150mm. The two sides are 150mm deep by 160mm tall, so they sit between the top and bottom. If your offcuts are slightly different, don't worry. Bees won't measure. Just make sure the box is deep enough to hold nesting tubes at least 100mm long.
- Use galvanised or stainless steel screws to avoid rust.
- Drill pilot holes first to stop the wood splitting.
- Give the roof a slight overhang — 50mm at the front is plenty — to keep rain off.
Filling the hotel: bamboo, blocks and more
The nesting cavities are the heart of the hotel. Bamboo canes are ideal, but they must be prepared properly. Cut them into lengths that match the depth of your box, around 150mm. The crucial trick: cut just below a node so one end is closed. That closed end goes at the back, giving the bee a natural stop. If you cut through an open section, the bee may abandon it.
Use a mix of diameters, from 4mm to 10mm. Different solitary bees prefer different sizes. Rub the cut ends with fine sandpaper to remove splinters, and discard any canes with cracks or splits. Bundle them tightly together — loose canes wobble and let in light, which puts bees off. Hold the bundle with a couple of rubber bands or a wrap of garden twine, then slide it into the box. Fill any gaps with smaller canes or rolled paper straws.
You can also add a solid block of untreated hardwood drilled with holes. Use a drill bit between 4mm and 8mm, and bore holes to a depth of 100–150mm. Space them about 15mm apart. Don't drill right through the block — you want a closed back. Brush away all sawdust, then screw or wedge the block into the box alongside the bamboo.
Where to site your bee hotel
Position matters more than fancy construction. Solitary bees need warmth to fly and forage, so choose a sunny spot that catches the morning sun. A south or south-east facing wall, fence or shed is perfect. Mount the hotel between 1 and 1.5 metres above the ground, sheltered from strong winds and driving rain.
Place it near flowers, fruit trees or a wild patch. Bees won't travel far for nectar and pollen, so the closer the better. Avoid hanging it right next to a bird feeder or a busy doorway. A quiet corner of the garden is ideal. If you have several hotels, space them a metre or so apart — some species are territorial.
Looking after it through the growing season
Once your hotel is up, resist the urge to fiddle. Bees will start investigating in early spring, and nesting usually runs from March to July, depending on the species. The adults die back, but the larvae remain inside the tubes, feeding on stored pollen and spinning cocoons. They overwinter there and emerge the following spring.
Leave the hotel alone in winter. Don't bring it indoors, and don't move it. In late summer or early autumn, you can gently check for mould or damp. If a few canes look discoloured, replace them after the bees have emerged the next spring. A good rule is to swap out about a third of the bamboo every couple of years to reduce parasites and disease.
- Never use pesticides or insecticides near the hotel.
- Keep the front clear of spider webs and fallen leaves.
- Add a small mesh guard if birds or mice show too much interest.
A few finishing touches and what to expect
A bee hotel made from scrap wood is never really finished. You can add a little roof of slate or felt, paint the outside with water-based, non-toxic paint (leave the front and inside bare), or mount it on a post if your walls are too shaded. The bees won't mind if the joints are a bit rough. They care about warmth, shelter and the right size of hole.
By midsummer you should see small, buzzy visitors sealing up tubes with mud or neatly cut leaves. That's the sign your hotel is working. It's a quiet pleasure, watching these gentle insects go about their business, and it costs you nothing but a few offcuts and an hour in the workshop. Happy building — and happy bee watching.
