POLLINATOR HOUSE:
In the update below, some basic information about Pollinator Houses is provided along with links to additional details.
The Pollinator Houses pictured were crafted by volunteers from Nature Connection of West Milford (Photo Credit Left - Jim Segal, Photo Credit Right - Tracey Battle). You can find out more information about Nature Connection of West Milford at the following url: https://natureconnectionwestmilford.org/
What is a Pollinator House and what are the benefits of having one:
A pollinator house is a structure which accommodates solitary-nesting native bees and other beneficial insects by providing cavities in natural materials for them to live in. Encouraging pollinators to live in your garden can improve the pollination of nearby plants. This has the ability to increase the yield of fruits, vegetables and seeds. In addition, beneficial insects can help reduce the number of pests, resulting in healthier plants.
Who lives in the Pollinator House:
Many types of insects can be attracted to pollinator houses, including bees, butterflies, beetles, flies, moths, wasps, and more. Some insects that may be particularly attracted to pollinator hotels include:
Mason bees: These small, solitary bees are excellent pollinators.
Green lacewings: These voracious aphid hunters are a welcome addition to a garden.
Carpenter bees: These bees may hibernate in shallow holes, like those provided in an insect hotel.
You can find out more information about Pollinator Insects native to New Jersey at the following url: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/new-jersey/new-jersey-pollinators
How is the Pollinator House Furnished:
A pollinator house may contain materials such as reed tubes, cardboard tubes, bamboo tubes, dead wood branches, pinecones, etc.
Different species of pollinators require different types of home / nesting materials. Some solitary bees are cavity-nesters that use hollow plant stems to lay their eggs. Some other beneficial insects such as ladybugs, which eat aphids, will seek out cavities in bark and pine cones to shelter for the winter, they will reemerge in the spring to mate and continue their lifecycle. Other examples include:
Holes and small tubes (bamboo, reed tubes, etc.): Attract solitary bees. You can make these tubes from paper straws, bamboo, reeds, and small drilled logs.
Pine Cones, Dry leaves, sticks, or straw: Attract ladybirds, beetles, and other bugs.
Corrugated cardboard: Attract lacewings.
Dried wood/branches: Twig-nesting solitary bees will use cavities in dried timber–or craft burrows themselves, if the timber is soft enough–for their pupae cocoons.
Dead wood and loose bark: Attract beetles, centipedes, spiders, and woodlice.
Installation & Maintenance:
Where to put the Pollinator House and When:
Installation: When placing a pollinator house, you can consider things like:
Sunlight: Place the house in a location that receives full morning sun, facing southeast or south. Bees need the sun's heat to warm up and become active.
Height: Hang the house at least three feet off the ground.
Shelter: Place the house in a sheltered location to protect it from the elements. A removable hardware cloth (wire mesh) cover is provided for the front of the Pollinator house to discourage squirrels and woodpeckers from removing the pollinator tubes and pinecones and to prevent them from falling out during high winds.
Distance to food: Position the house within 100 to 200 yards of a pollen source, such as flowers, fruit trees, or vegetables.
Distance to mud: Place the house within 50 yards of a source of mud, which some bees use to build their nests.
Time of year: Ideally, install the house in early spring, before the bees are active. In the winter, boxes should ideally be stored in an outbuilding that gets atmospheric temperature, or in an outdoor location sheltered from the elements. The following spring, the tubes can be placed outside again, when temperatures are above 55 degrees, so the bees and other beneficial insects can emerge.
Maintenance:
Pollinator Houses are generally constructed of wood. Maintenance requirements will vary by materials of construction, design and content. The Pollinator house constructed by Nature Connection of West Milford has been constructed of western cedar and has had a coating of natural beeswax applied to the surface to help shed rain drops. The western cedar wood will naturally grey over time. Natural beeswax can be reapplied to the roof/exterior surfaces to help with the longevity of the pollinator house. If you are looking at building your own, you can search the web for other ideas, such as using an aluminum to protect the roof, or just keeping it natural. Linseed oil can alternatively be applied to the roof of a pollinator house to help increase the useful life of the wood. Other stains and coatings are not recommended as they could have chemicals that could discourage and/or harm the pollinators.
Importantly, nesting tubes need to be replaced each year after bees emerge, otherwise they can harbor disease and parasites. A removable hardware cloth (wire mesh) cover is provided for the front of the Pollinator house, you can rotate the turn buttons that hold the hardware cloth in place and carefully slide/lift out the hardware cloth, taking care as the edges of the wire can be sharp (wear gloves as needed). This will give you access to clean/replace tubes and other nesting materials as needed. The Pollinator Houses constructed by Nature Connection of West Milford, used either approximately 5.25 inch or 6 inch nesting tubes made of materials such as hollow reeds, hollow bamboo and/or recycled unbleached food grade cardboard. You can either replace tubes and/or use a pipe cleaner to remove old nests after the new mason bees and other beneficial insects emerge from their sleep in the spring.
Refer to this article for additional tips on installing and maintaining pollinator houses: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2020/03/ext-entomologists-tips-for-installing-and-maintaining-native-bee-houses.html
Observe, Experiment & Enjoy:
We can all learn from observation by seeing which insects are using the pollinator house over time and see how they nest for the winter and emerge again in the spring.
In addition to the Pollinator House, you can experiment with different approaches to attract and support a variety of additional insects, incorporating features into your garden landscape like leaf litter, brush piles, dead wood, water feature or bird bath.
We hope you can enjoy this approach to connecting with nature in your own garden!