Interactive Wooden Bee House – Pollinator Bee Management System

Great house
The good:The house is great..I do believe I’ll get another when this one fills. Unlike many, the roof is an actual roof that is large enough to protect the bees – and they covered the roof joint with metal so it won’t leak in a year. The trays come apart easily for end of season cleaning and multiple units can be hung ‘stacked’ on top of each other for a pretty neat bee hotel. Beyond that, the holes are cleanly drilled (unlike the ones you buy and then have to spend an hour fixing to make it usable), and it’s made with FSC. After purchasing a few mason bee homes and looking at many more, I’m happy to have found a winner.The bad:I took off one star for this.. it is a relatively minor flaw, but given the quality of everything else the house offers, as well as the fact that I ~bought~ a house so I wouldn’t have to pull out the tools, it was unfortunate.. The house has only a tiny hook for hanging in the center of the back. With this, it’s very difficult to hang the house flush or remotely so, instead it leans forward significantly. (A slight lean would be okay as it would further the roof’s protection, but this is not slight). Additionally, given the tiny hook, it doesn’t take much to knock the house off its perch. I ultimately had to add two new hooks – one on each side of the back – before hanging flush and secure.I still really like it though and everything else is great enough that I would buy it again despite this.

There are no rough edges.
Although it is not in use as yet due to our weather in northeast, I am sure it will be very useful to the mason bees. I am pleased with the quality.

Attracted bees the very first day! Changed my rating from 5 to a 3
I searched and researched a house for mason bees that wasn’t the type of house you find at big box stores and garden centers. This house fit the bill. Bees houses can end up getting mites in them which will make the bees pass away. This one can be taken apart and cleaned each year. You can see all of the bee pollen they bring in. Awesome house for mason and solitary bees. I updated my review to a 3 because now that it’s time to take the beehouse apart and clean it harvest the cocoons for the winter and eliminate mites, parasites and fly eggs, there is ZERO day to get to the top row. CLOSE THE TOP ROW OFF if you’re going to clean your units (which you’re supposed to do) because there’s no way to get those holes cleaned.

The real thing!
I normally research things before I buy them, but I bought a really cute mason bee house at Home Depot. When I got home and decided to read up on them , I discovered that it was neither safe nor practical for the bees and their offspring. The depth of the box needs to be 6 inches not three to protect them. So I returned the house and bought this real one on Amazon. It’s the correct depth , well made and comes apart for cleaning. The other one was more of a bird buffet. I want the mason bees for my garden.

Das Produkt wurde sehr gut verpackt und zeitnah wie angegeben geliefert. Das Material des Bienenhauses riecht angenehm und das Holz hat auch keine Splitter an den Eingängen, sodass das Produkt sofort aufgestellt/aufgehängt werden konnte. Da wir mitten in der Stadt wohnen, war ich skeptisch, ob das Haus tatsächlich angenommen wird. Nach mittlerweile zwei Wochen ist aber eine Wildbiene eingezogen und fliegt das Haus regelmäßig gezielt an. Habe daraufhin direkt noch ein zweites Haus für den Garten meiner Eltern bestellt, die genauso begeistert sind. Fazit: ein rundum tolles Produkt, was auch sehr schick auf dem Balkon bzw. im Garten aussieht!

The Wildlife World Solitary Bee Hive is an excellent, robust and well-designed resource and haven for your garden and home.I say the word ‘haven’ because it is just that a safe haven for solitary bees.The price is very fair for this hive which is made from good quality timber.It should, with a little forethought and care last you years and provide a nest for the bees as well as giving your flowers, garden and fruits a big boost whilst doing nature a big favour.The box is robust and requires no maintenance.To locate I would have it about 1 to 2 metres high on a warm wall or fence facing South- South East. Ideally close to flowing trees or plants.I located mine under the eaves if the roof to ensure the box is protected from the worst of the weather, snow or rain.That is really all you need to know it is a worthwhile and thoughtful investment- as a gift it is brilliant.Now the next bit is a little anecdotal and not essential to read but where else can I write this?About ten years ago I was fortunate to work as a supply teacher in a school in Stallingborough.We were doing a project on mini-beasts and I found the school had a professionally made ‘solitary bees’ hive.I screwed it to the wall on the classroom wall and was amazed that within a day the hive was used.During the rest of the next few months the hive was full.Now I considered myself quite well read on Mini-beasts – as a Primary Teacher I needed to be. But the hive and actually being able to observe the bees first hand was totally educating.The children learned a great deal too. If you have no idea what solitary bees are like you can ‘google ‘ the subject yourself. But this is far better you get the opportunity to see and attract the bees first hand.Now solitary bees don’t sting so they are safe for children, adults and the elderly alike.This hive will attract Orchard/Mason bees early in the season (the bees use mud to seal the grubs and eggs) later the holes will be used by leafcutter bees that use leaves rather than mud to seal theirs.Now I was amazed at just how small and ant-like solitary bees are. You really can see how the two species evolved from the same genus in the far past.By installing this box you really are helping wildlife so give your self a pat on the back and congratulate yourself.Thanks for reading.PostScript. I repositioned my beehive about 1-metre high on a South Facing Wall of the House.This was at the end of April. Within 2 days solitary bees started using the holes.Other ‘hives’ longs drilled with holes and cut bamboo canes have just been ignored.The key is location location location. Warm wall, and sunny South facing.I’ve enclosed a few photos showing close ups of the holes 7 filled by Mason Bees the 8th by leaf cutter.The hive is in constant use.PSS. One year later the bees have hatched. The males are the first to hatch and frantically try to break into the cells containing the females so they can mate. But the problem is that the new females have begun to lay a new brood so it is hard to know if and when to clean out the hive.Latest problem is a woodpecker has attacked the nesting holes in an attempt to eat the larva. Nature in the raw.Ppps.Noticed all the ‘new hives’ I put up have been used but this one seemed to have holes everywhere. I took the box apart and found that none of the holes had been reused.Could this because of the ‘debris’ left behind by this years hatchlings?Or the fact the all the bees seemed to be disturbed by the males/I have cleaned out the tubes and place the box in the shed and plan to put it up early in the new year.