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Bee hotel has a vistor

CoysCoys Posts: 85
in Wildlife gardening

Got a couple of bee hotels for the kids 2 months ago one to take into school and one for the Garden. I noticed yesterday 2 holes had been filled in and a wasp in another hole doing something. Looked online and found out It's not a wasp and Is a solitary bee and is filling the hole with mud. I spent about an hour watching it fly back a forth filling it with mud. I also noticed it was putting baby green caterpillars in the hole before filling them which was strange. attached a couple of pictures but not great quality.

Its the first time seeing something like this even as a kid I didn't now a 30 year old male and I feel like a big kid getting excited about this. image

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  • FleurisaFleurisa Posts: 779

    The caterpillars are there for food

  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    Thats so cool, i want one! Congrats, you have bee babies! image
  • Beaus MumBeaus Mum Posts: 3,546

    I'm nearly 50 and excited for you Coys image They are well cute and exciting too, hope you keep us updated image

    OMG re the caterpillar s I never knew that! image

  • BizzieBBizzieB Posts: 885

    Great photos Coy image put my bee hotel in a sheltered spot which is now overgrown so cant see much . Good to know that something may be happening! Will see in autumn. I didn't know about the caterpillars either. Learning all the time image

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 50,262

    Fantastic Coys image

    Lovely to see gardener's efforts in gardens having a real impact. I definitely want to make one. If every garden had just one bee house think of the difference it would make to the bee colonies. Perhaps we should start a campaign image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Gillian53Gillian53 Posts: 112

    We have had solitary bee tubes up for a few years, spent hours watching them but never seen any caterpillars being brought in. I have only ever read that the bee grubs eat the pollen that is deposited by the parent bee. I have however, seen a few parasitic type wasps (and flies) that pop into a hole when mother bee is out collecting pollen, to deposit their own eggs. Could that have been a small wasp that was leaving some extra supplies for its offspring and then the mother bee kindly sealing the cell for it?  

  • Beaus MumBeaus Mum Posts: 3,546

    Great idea fairy girl, you start the campaign and I'll join! image

  • CoysCoys Posts: 85

    6 holes have been filled and the bee has left. Was definitely a bee and only the 1.I was watching it for ages it went into the empty whole maybe laying eggs then it would pick up a few of the caterpillars and stuff them in the whole then it would fly off and come back every couple of minutes and start filling it in with mud.

  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    Why dont we all make one? Its only a couple of canes chopped up then tied in a bundle, wont be as posh as the one here but should do the trick, id love to see everyones efforts image
  • CoysCoys Posts: 85

    Ha I bought mine on ebay think was £9 for 2

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