We got this as a gift for our yard and I admit I'm not sure of it's purpose. I saw one in a catalog and it says it's a place for bees to rest and for other benevolent insects to hide from predators, etc. The gift giver said bees overwinter in it.

Doesn't seem to be much protection from Winter but it does remind of those sleeping tubes in airports for weary travelers. Never the less, I'm open to learning so what is special about this and does it actually work?

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My name is DP, and I approve this message.

.....could it be part of.....'Bee Best'........or....oh, Bee Have.....??

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Bees will not use it. Bees "cluster" in a hive during the winter to stay warm.

They also have "purpose built" hives with honeycomb.

Do you know how to scare a bee?

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

Bee houses are meant for solitary bees like mason bees and leafcutter bees.

[thehoneybeeconservancy.org]

Not sure about bees specifically but it is an insect hotel.

[www.rspb.org.uk]

This is ours.



Paul

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....a bugaboo.....??

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

It looks like some old man with time on his hands joke.

Those are likely for the types of bees that have a last brood of bees in the Fall that are queens that find safe places to winter over in the Fall.
Honey bees will protect the queen in the center or warmest part of the hive.
Bumblebee queens usually find a hole in the ground and actually hibernate there until Spring.

You might find paper wasps in it too - I've found them in my downspouts.

Too many kinds of bees and wasps with different wintering over habits.


The center slot looks like it is for angelwing butterflies (or bats !! LOL ) or whatever type of butterflies that don't spend the winter as chrysalids or pupae or even caterpillars.


There is a bee that lives in tubes but I dunno if they stay there in Winter.
Some have been touting them as a possible replacement or adjunct to honeybees for orchards and gardens pollination.

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The Phorum Wall keeps us safe from illegal characters and words
The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is the knowledge of one's own ignorance. -Benjamin Franklin
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/2018 12:57PM by billb.

Saw one of these recently and was similarly confused.

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....for Bee bachelors/bacherlorette......??

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

DP,

Saw a handful of these and, each time, said, "On my house? Not a chance in hell!" Flying insects that sting are not welcome near my home. Then again, my home isn't welcome to any kind of insect, spider and related critter. Let's just say I take pest control in my home _very_ seriously.

Robert

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Robert M
DP,

Saw a handful of these and, each time, said, "On my house? Not a chance in hell!" Flying insects that sting are not welcome near my home. Then again, my home isn't welcome to any kind of insect, spider and related critter. Let's just say I take pest control in my home _very_ seriously.

Robert

Yeah, I do appreciate that insects let me live in their house, but I do not return the favor. Sometimes though, I will escort them back out.

I am of the "you are welcome outside of my house but not inside of my house" persuasion and will if possible gather up a critter in the house and carry it outside. Not every critter makes the trip successfully.

That said, mud nest building wasps are not welcome on the front porch ... it's still my house. Had a little test of wills about that this summer (my long handled broom won the match for me).

I have seen the tube houses but have never bothered to learn if they are useful.

The social bees and wasps defend their nests through stings. The solitary wasps and bees, which are the ones these bee homes are protecting, are not usually aggressive. They are generally one to a hole and largely keep to themselves and out of your business. They use their stings to paralyze stinkbugs, spiders and other insects to provision their nests. Some can sting you if you somehow try to hold one, but they won't come after you the way social bees and wasps can.

TL;DR: The bees in these houses are good neighbors.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/2018 03:51PM by Acer.

It's designed for Mason bees, not honey bees. Mason bees are good pollinators for native plants.
It doesn't look very deep but the photo may be misleading.
If it is less than about 4 inches it becomes a snack bar for woodpeckers who can reach inside and eat the bees. If so, it is really just a decoration and not functional.
Unless of course, you do not like Mason bees. If that is the case you have a nice Mason bee-killing house
.
Typically they do not attach many bees until the second year or season when the house is not so pretty.

Here's my Bug House - has a lot of visitors.
and we're like Motel 6 - We leave the light on.


Fred

Acer, michael_s, and voodoo are correct. Check out this link from Janit and follow the additional links on this page about Mason and Solitary bees:

[thehoneybeeconservancy.org]

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My name is DP, and I approve this message.

The New Yorker Aug 19, 2018


This might sting a little

As is characteristic of solitary bees, Osmia are very docile and rarely sting when handled (only under distress such as when wet or squeezed), their sting is small and not painful, and their stinger is unbarbed.

They are great neighbors!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/2018 12:42AM by Racer X.

Hi everyone,

Doesn't matter. Insects and other pests are not welcome in and/or within the immediate vicinity of my home. They will be removed and steps will be taken to prevent their return. Good pollinators. Docile. Non-aggressive. Fine and dandy. Somewhere else. In this case, NIMBY is the rule and prevails.

Robert

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Robert M
Hi everyone,

Doesn't matter. Insects and other pests are not welcome in and/or within the immediate vicinity of my home. They will be removed and steps will be taken to prevent their return. Good pollinators. Docile. Non-aggressive. Fine and dandy. Somewhere else. In this case, NIMBY is the rule and prevails.

Robert

Your 'dominion opinion' has been made abundantly clear. Please don't enlighten us as to your campaigns against local avian and mammal species, lest we become even more disturbed by your zealotry.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/2018 03:12PM by rjmacs.

rj,

Not opinion. Fact. My home. My domain. Pests are not welcome. Doesn't matter what kind.

Robert

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Robert M
rj,

Not opinion. Fact. My home. My domain. Pests are not welcome. Doesn't matter what kind.

Robert

I get it. Your home. Your domain. Given by God to man to control and command.

You say "pests" like certain parts of nature represent nothing natural at all, but rather an evil anathema to your personal existence.

Your vehemence and absolutism are just a little weird, is all. An ant in your kitchen is an ant, just being an ant. You're acting like it's an alien invader, somehow venturing where ants were never meant to be and must be eliminated WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE. If you start having genocidal feelings toward any creatures, maybe take a breath. It's just another living thing.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

RJ,

Maybe instead of judging me so harshly, you should consider I might have good reasons for taking drastic action to keep insects and other pests out of my home and away from it.

I am highly allergic to insect bites and stings. The severity ranges from a nasty, painful itchy bumps to severe hives to far worse. That doesn’t take into consideration a 3-year-old who takes after her daddy and has issues with bites and sting, too.

This alone is reason to do whatever is necessary to keep them out of and away from my home. It may not be good enough for you but it’s more than sufficient for me.

Other insects and animals (i.e. rodents, birds, etc) cause different issues. They’re more than welcome as long as they stay outside and away from my home. They might be fine for you but not for me.

Robert



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2018 02:17PM by Robert M.

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Robert M
RJ,

Maybe instead of judging me so harshly, you should consider I might have good reasons for taking drastic action to keep insects and other pests out of my home and away from it.

I am highly allergic to insect bites and stings. The severity ranges from a nasty, painful itchy bumps to severe hives to far worse. That doesn’t take into consideration a 3-year-old who takes after her daddy and has issues with bites and sting, too.

This alone is reason to do whatever is necessary to keep them out of and away from my home. It may not be good enough for you but it’s more than sufficient for me.

Other insects and animals (i.e. rodents, birds, etc) cause different issues. They’re more than welcome as long as they stay outside and away from my home. They might be fine for you but not for me.

Robert

Now it's easier to understand your virulence vigilance. Stay safe, but also stay compassionate. When you take a life, you take a life, even if it's necessary.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

rj,

I shouldn't have had to explain this. Common sense ought to have told you that if I'm adamant about removing pests from in and/or within the immediate vicinity of my home, then I likely have a compelling reason for it. Glad you understand now.

Robert