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Hanging up new bee boxes now? Wrong time of year?

FireFire LondonPosts: 7,636
in Wildlife gardening
I have a nesting box for solitary bees. Is there any point in putting it up now, or should I wait for next spring? It looks like the nests in my other structures are all completed, and some bees have hatched and left, it looks like. Thanks. 

Posts

  • wild edgeswild edges The north west of south east WalesPosts: 5,619
    My boxes are still really busy but I guess your season will be a week or more ahead of mine. What's the worst than can happen though? If it doesn't get used then it will just weather in a bit ready for next year.
  • FireFire LondonPosts: 7,636
    Just hoping it doesn't fill with spiders. I think you take yours in WE to clean up each year. ..?
  • wild edgeswild edges The north west of south east WalesPosts: 5,619
    I remove any unused bamboo canes and replace them but I can't find a good time to clean the bricks anymore since we get so many different types of bee using it. It used to be easy with just one or two species but now I'm always waiting for something to hatch and it starts getting used before they do. It doesn't seem to put them off though.
  • FireFire LondonPosts: 7,636
    The Schweglerbee solitary box you recommended, @wild edges,  has full occupancy at the moment. Compared with about a third for the logs that have been drilled and zero occpancy for the RSPB bamboo set up. I suspect the holes in bamboo are too big. Having a wide range of circumference encourages a much broader range of bugs to set up home. All my boxes are in the same place (same aspect, sun, shelter level etc) so it has been an interesting trial. It's quite hard to keep all the spider webs off. They need regular wiping.

  • joe.shimminjoe.shimmin Posts: 143
    I’ve had lots of mason bees use my drilled logs and last year in July I think I had a few leaf cutter bees come, so i think you may still get visitors. I have a lovely bamboo bee hotel situated out the front of my house, south facing etc and nothing goes in it!
    Pic 1 - drilled logs with mason bee occupants.
    Pic 2 - pretty bamboo hotel with nothing!!


  • FireFire LondonPosts: 7,636
    @joe.shimmin  - it looks like you have drilled the logs well, with a variety of hole sizes.
  • raisingirlraisingirl East Devon, on the Edge of Exmoor.Posts: 4,049
    People just prefer rustic to new build, don't they? Bees being people in this context :)
    “It's not worth doing something unless someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren't doing it.” ― Terry Pratchett
  • joe.shimminjoe.shimmin Posts: 143
    2mm to 10mm as deep as possible and only open at the front.
  • FireFire LondonPosts: 7,636
    So, my bee box is up. It has a removable side panel so you can occasionally view the eggs.






  • FireFire LondonPosts: 7,636
    edited June 2020
    @wild edges  This a vid of the Schwegler bee brick. You can see insects coming and going. I am very much hoping these are micro bees, not some kind of parasitic wasp or something predating the eggs.



    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=CCcGH7OXNwQ


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