Bee hotels have been placed at North Cadbury Court, as part of an experiment with Harper Adams University to determine the effect of dwelling cavity type on the occupancy and over wintering survival of native UK solitary bees.
There are four types of commonly used bee hotels. These are typically made of different materials and contain varied holes or cavities for the bees to nest in.
These are:
- Cardboard straws
- Bee brick (made of clay)
- Wooden shelves
- Garden canes
This experiment aims to discover which of these hotel types bees are the most likely to use and which ones allow them to survive best over the winter.
The main bee species using these hotels is the red mason bee (osmia bicornis). This is a gentle creature and is not known to sting. It is possible other species may also use the hotels. We are monitoring which type it looks like the bees prefer and if we can you see any bees in them.
These bees are friendly and do not sting, so guests can enjoy watching them foraging and making their nests. If you’d like to learn more about the experiment please contact Clara Montgomery at [email protected] or on Twitter (X) @ClaraAndTheBees
