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Welcome to the
'Air Bee & Bee Challenge'
You are now in possession of one of 1000 unique handmade bee hotels made in Ireland from wood waste, fallen branches and offcuts from furniture factories in Co Wicklow.
What is the
'Air Bee & Bee Challenge'
The DCs for Bees Air Bee & Bee Challenge was created to help raise awareness for the depleting natural habitats that endangered wild solitary bees call home by also allowing you, the owner of this hotel, to help do your part creating a safe place for these bees your neighbourhood.
Solitary bees don't live in hives like honeybees, so they need other places to lay their eggs. Bee hotels provide these bees with safe and suitable nesting spots.
Why Bee Hotels?
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Wild pollinators need safe nesting habitats to survive and thrive
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Natural habitats suitable for wild bee nesting are not as common in the landscape as they once were so bee hotels are a simple, inexpensive and safe way to create a nesting habitat
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15% of Ireland’s bee species are cavity nesters. These bees nest in dead stems, beetle-riddled tree trunks, cavities in stone walls and more. Bee hotels can provide the right type of nesting for these type of solitary bee
Photo Pexels by David Hablützel
Tips on Bee Hotels*
* Source: pollinators.ie
Ensure flowers are close by so bees can feed on for the duration of their life cycle
Position 1-2.5m above ground and avoid north-facing aspects
Do not hang your bee hotel near bird feeders so the nesting bees will not be easy targets for hungry birds
Bee hotels should be small (the size of an average bird box) to avoid the spread of disease and attract predators
Buy or make hotels with a sloping roof on top to ensure it stays dry during rainy weather
If your nest is not occupied within two years, move it to a different location
You will know your nest is occupied if the entrance holes are plugged with pieces of leaf or with mud
Did you know?
Solitary bees will only travel a few hundred meters to find food.
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It's important to locate hotels close to good food sources: flowers.
15% of Ireland’s bee species are cavity nesters.
These bees nest in dead stems, beetle-riddled tree trunks, cavities in stone walls and more
You will only see solitary bees for a short time each year, maybe 6-8 weeks.
The rest of the time the bees are developing or hibernating in the nest, so it’s really important not to disturb nest sites all year