I went social. I expanded our flat, invited others to live with us.
Seriously, we’re like a big living community now.
On our balcony there is room for lots of newcomers and passing guests.
I’ve installed an insect hotel on the wall, which I’ve planed for the last few months, and build for the last few weeks.
Materials
The basis is an old wooden Clementine box from some supermarket or other, and it contains pine cones, elderberry twigs, reeds, a red brick, a part of an angeled loofah (just for the fun of it), stuff and mostly slices of thick branches with holes in it, ranging from 4mm up to 12mm.
Inhabitants
It offers home to a variety of solitary and/or native bees and wasps, e.g. mason bee, wool-using bee … also lacewings, lady bugs, bumblebees …
If you want to know more about insect hotels and why it’s important to build them you can read more about them here.
Aceptance
When I installed the thing, I was a bit concerned about acceptance, fearing alternating about the insects not finding it because of me living on the third floor and about it … smelling … strange and therefore not being accepted for a few months.
All concern proved unfounded when, two days after I installed and opened the hotel, the first bee appeared and begun to inspect the local scenery and signed up only shortly after. She took a nice, middle sized room in the upper half of the hotel, with a great view of the local church.
So far about ten flats have been taken. The higher floors seem to be more desired and also the bigger holes. I may need more of them.
This, to me seems to be a success.
I’ve you are a solitary bee or otherwise interested, please come and check it out. The rent is appropriate and affordable. Meals are served on occasion in the spring and fall, but around the clock in the summer time. There is no closing time, but you have to provide your own room service.
