Bee hotels have been placed at North Cadbury Court in Somerset, as part of an experiment with Harper Adams University to determine which types of homes bees are most attracted to.
The experiment aims to determine the impact different types of cavity has on the occupancy and survival of our native UK solitary bees. Using different hotel types, it will monitor which are most likely to be used and which ones allow them to survive best over the winter.
The main bee species likely to be using the 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, so the court is monitoring this as well.
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
North Cadbury Court’s owner Janet Montgomery said: “As red mason bees are friendly and rarely sting, our guests will be able to enjoy watching them foraging and making their nests. It will be wonderful experiment to witness, with the added bonus that it will attract more bees to our gardens.”
If you’d like to learn more about the research please contact Clara Montgomery at cmontgomery@harper-adams.ac.uk or on Twitter (X) @ClaraAndTheBees