How To Build A Bees House: A Step-By-Step Guide

bees house

bees house

Updated on 3/27/2024
Emma DowneyBy Emma Downey
Gardening Expert
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Bee houses are not your typical garden or yard feature; nonetheless, they are not challenging to locate and are simple to maintain. Never had one? You are missing out on a lot of pleasure, not to mention the many advantages of keeping bees.
In this simple guide, we will share with you different sorts and concepts of bee houses and show you how simple it is to create your own out of materials that are easily accessible. Join us in our mission to assist the bees in maintaining the health of our world!

Bees' houses are an excellent way to bring a bit of nature into your life and improve the overall health of your backyard or garden. Bees' houses may also be a fun project for the whole family. In addition to this, they can also function as a warm and welcoming habitat for bees.
They are simple to put together, and you won't have to spend a lot of time taking care of them. Remember that a bee house is not the same thing as a beehive!

What Is A Bees House?

As the name suggests, Bees' home is a wooden structure in which bees build their nests and deposit eggs. It's pretty similar to a bird home; however, it attracts lonely bees rather than birds.
A bee's house is usually a box packed with tiny tubes of various materials (e.g., bamboo, cardboard, or even plastic) (e.g., bamboo, cardboard, or even plastic).

Triangular bees house

Triangular bees house

The tubes need to be big enough for a bee to come in and build a nest but small enough to prevent predators, like wasps, from getting in.

Is A Bees House The Same As A Bees Hotel?

Not precisely. Although the terms are used interchangeably, a bee home usually refers to a smaller structure, while a bee's hotel refers to a larger, more comfortable one.

bees hotel

bees hotel

A bees hotel may also be erected inside a more prominent structure and segregated according to the types of bees you want to attract.

The Value Of Having A Bee House

For you and the bees, several advantages come with constructing a home for the bees. The following list of benefits may sway your decision to purchase a bees' house if you are still on the fence.

Protects Honeybees From Dangerous Animals

Bees are being maimed and killed by predators, which is a significant contributor to the global bee disaster that we are experiencing right now. The bees' longevity is impacted as a direct result of their exposure to predators, which can also spread diseases throughout the colony.
Bees can be preyed upon by a wide variety of animals, the most common bears, skunks, birds that eat bees, and crab spiders.

Causes An Increase In The Quality Of Pollination In Your Garden Or Yard

Being near bees, mainly solitary orchard bees is beneficial to the overall health of the flowers and plants that you cultivate in your garden.

Honeybees aren't always the best pollinators, and these bees often do a better job. To put it another way, constructing a bee house instead of maintaining a beehive may result in more pollination.

Provides Protection From The Elements For The Beehive

Bees typically construct their hives in the hollows of tree trunks and other sheltered locations. This is done to shield the bees' dwelling from the effects of adverse weather.

A bee's house does this task even more effectively than a bee's nest since it is constructed with longevity and resistance (much more so than a bee's nest, maybe).

Assures That There Is Food And A Steady Supply Of Water Available For The Bees

The Bees

The Bees

The globe is in the midst of a true bee crisis that does not so much impact the honeybee species as it does the species of solitary bees.
You are "doing your part" to alleviate this situation in the sense that you are giving a safe place to live and a steady supply of food and water.

Different Kinds Of Hives For Bees

Although we noted previously that bee houses are constructed for species of solitary bees, there is more to the story than just that. In general, bee houses are distinguished by the species of bee that they are intended to draw.

Home Of The Honey Bees

If you hear someone using this term, keep in mind that a honey bee cannot reside in the same kind of bee house as the other bees found in this area. Honey bees are social insects by nature, and as a result, they must reside in a hive with other honey bees.

honey bees house

honey bees house

If you want to lure a honey bee to your garden, your best choice is to buy a honey bee nest and work from there, giving you the highest chance of success.

Home Of The Bumble Bees

Bumblebees, like honey bees, are social insects that prefer to congregate in large groups and work together to form a hive under the leadership of a queen.

bumble bees house

bumble bees house

Despite the widespread belief that bee houses and nesting boxes can successfully attract bumble bees and encourage them to set up a nest, a study over four years demonstrated that this is not the case.

During that extensive investigation, the specially designed bee homes that were supposed to attract bumble bees did not show any signs of being inhabited by bees.

House For One Lonely Bee

A bee that lives alone by its very nature is referred to as a solitary bee, distinguishing it from a bee that has become separated from its hive. It is not a honey bee because it does not produce honey, does not live in a pack, and does not follow a queen. Honey bees live in colonies and produce honey.

solitary bee house

solitary bee house

Nevertheless, a solitary bee is well-known for its docility (typically much gentler than a honey bee) and its effectiveness as a pollinator.

The majority of people who construct bee houses in their yards do so initially to gain the benefits of improved pollination and a flourishing garden.

Tip: If you want to increase pollination and draw bees to your home, the most effective strategy is to construct a home tailored to the needs of solitary bees.

Home Of The Mason Bees

The mason bee and the solitary bee have many similarities. After mating, the creature looks for a suitable tube to nest in (and would be attracted to a bee's house).

The mason bee will then use her large jaws to scoop up mud, which she will subsequently employ to construct a wall at the rear of the tube. This is the reason why it is referred to as a mason bee.

The mason bee will then collect nectar and place it in a pile at the end of the tunnel for the newly hatched bee larvae to consume once it has emerged.

mason bee house

mason bee house

After this, the mason bee will place the egg on top of the pollen, gather additional mud, and then encase the egg in its little chamber.

It will continue to do this until the entire tube is filled, at which point it will close off the other end of the line to safeguard her young from potential danger.

Mason bee homes and solitary bee homes are pretty comparable to one another. Since mason bees and solitary bees are the most common visitors to your bees' house or hotel, we will concentrate on them from here on out.

Ideas For Bees' Homes

It is possible to construct a bee home in various ways, some of which are intricate and time-consuming, while others are shockingly low-cost and straightforward.

Home Of The Canned Bees

A canned bee house is precisely what it sounds like: a bee house built inside a can.
After using the can's contents, wipe the can and stuff it with hollow or dead plant stems. Be careful, however, because you want the branches to be relatively thin (around 4-5 mm), as this will discourage potential predators.

Bee Hive Made From Cinder Blocks

Cinder blocks are not difficult to come by and provide an excellent level of protection against the elements, in a manner analogous to that of the canned house, stuff the cinder block with slender, decomposing stems.

The cinder block must be positioned to stand erect, with both ends of the stems exposed.

Bee Home That Has Been Drilled

You may make your own bees' home by simply drilling a few small holes into a piece of wood using a drill, provided you have some experience with one.

When drilling holes in a bee house, keep the holes no larger than 4 millimeters in diameter, and don't drill to the bottom; doing so will discourage bees from entering the home.

Be sure that there are no splinters or other sharp objects inside the openings, as they could cause injury to the bees.

A Beehive Made Of Cardboard

You don't need to worry about finding hollow stems even if you don't know where to find them. Make do with some cardboard rolled up (or even just some paper), and place it either inside a can, a wooden box, or even a plastic bottle that has had a hole cut out of it.

A Hive That Has A Roof Over It

Your bees' home should have a roof since it serves more than an aesthetic purpose. A robust and reliable roof directs precipitation such as rain and hail away from the box containing the bees' eggs and provides increased protection from the elements.

Therefore, if you want to create a home for bees, you should think about adding a roof to it, regardless of your method.

A Mug Shaped Like A Beehive

This is not only a practical addition to your garden, but it also adds a lot of aesthetic value to the space. Hang an old ceramic mug from a branch in your yard, then fill the hollow stems with hollow stemmed plants or cardboard or paper rolls and hang the cup.
If the pattern of colors on the mug matches the colors found in your garden, it is a bonus.

Tutorial On How To Construct Your Own Bee Hive

Do you think you're ready to construct your very own bee home? Great!

In this step-by-step tutorial for do-it-yourselfers, we'll walk you through the easiest and most effective approach to construct the ideal housing for bees.

A word of advice: the more expensive option is not necessarily the superior one. You may construct an efficient bee habitat out of materials that you already have lying about your house.

First, Determine Where You Want To Set Your Shop

The bees' home should have lots of sunlight and be situated in an open, uncluttered place. In an ideal situation, it should be located a great distance away from shade-casting trees or bushes, which might also conceal dangerous animals.

Bees house feet above

Bees house feet above


It would help if you aimed to position the bees' home around 1 meter (3.3 feet) above the ground.

Step 2: Select The Type Of Material To Use

As we've seen, a bee's home can be anything, from a wooden box or a tin can to a cinder block. Cats are approximately twice as arrogant as bees.

Step 3: Prepare The Tubes For Use

This can be accomplished with rolled-up pieces of paper or cardboard, dead stems, or both. You also can purchase bamboo tubes that have already been manufactured.

The tubes ought to be on the small side, and it would help if you aimed for a width between 4 and 8 millimeters.

The Fourth Step Is To position It On A Stable Base

If you want the bees' home to be able to resist severe weather, you need secure it to the ground in some way, regardless of where you decide to put it.
That wraps it up! The construction of bee homes can be somewhat involved, yet a simple bee home can be assembled in as little as twenty minutes.

Where To Position A Honey Bee Hive

The bees' home should ideally be a sunny area, with its southern or southwest-facing side towards the sun.
It also needs to be at a location where it will be protected from strong winds, which may blow it over if it were in the wrong spot.

A bees house

A bees house


Put the home your bees have built on a level surface so that it won't topple over. If you want an extra layer of protection for the bees' house, you should try to root it down or tie it down.

What Is The Healthiest Diet For Honeybees?

Even though you can put honey and sugar, which are two of the bees' favorite foods, next to or inside the bee house, the bee's primary source of nutrition comes from the flora that it forages.

bees house around wild flowers

bees house around wild flowers


If you want to keep your bees well-fed throughout the year, planting a wide variety of wildflowers in your garden is the best way to accomplish this goal. This will guarantee that your bees receive all of the essential nutrients.
Include a source of water, as well. Since pollen is not an exceptionally nutritious food source, bees will require a higher proportion of water in their diet. This is when garden water features can come in handy.
It's important to note that bees can't swim. Your water supply has to be situated at a level easily reached while you are standing. You may pack it full of pebbles and keep the water level somewhat low in the container.

Advice on How To Take Care Of A Bee House

Once the bees' home is constructed and active, it is your responsibility to care for it. However, it is not a particularly difficult task at all. Just make sure you pay heed to the advice that follows.

  •  If you don't keep it dry, mold will grow inside the tubes.
  • During the winter, move the bees' homes to protect the larvae from the harsh weather.
  • During the cooler months, you should clean the cocoons. To ensure that the cocoons are free of any mites bothering them, thoroughly rinse them with water. You need not be concerned because bee cocoons are impervious to water.
  • To clean the outside of the cocoons, another option is to use a solution that contains a little bit of bleach.
  • After the larvae have left the house, make sure to clean it well and replace the tubes as soon as possible (to do away with any parasites that may be living inside).

Beekeeper's Home Up For Grabs

You don't need to construct your own bee home if you do not choose to do so. There is an abundance of fantastic choices available for purchase.

The Mason Bee House, Also Known As The Hive

This mason bee house is exceptionally adorable, but it also has a low impact on the environment. The rosewood tubes on the interior exude a natural and earthy aroma, which the bees find more alluring and so more likely to use.

bees house for sale

bees house for sale

If you are not interested in collecting cocoons, this tool's straightforward construction makes it an excellent choice.

House For Jcs Wildlife And Bees

This vividly colored bee house has many benefits, one of which is that it is resistant to damage and will continue to function well even when subjected to severe weather.

colorful bees house

colorful bees house

Additionally, we adore the adorable style and the numerous tubes it possesses, all of which are suitable for many cocoons.

Mason Bees' Home, Crafted By Hand

This handcrafted bees house is the ideal option for those who prefer designs that are less fussy and more in tune with nature. This bamboo beehive home is long-lasting and kind to the environment (bamboo is one of the most resistant materials in the world).

Not to mention the fact that it coordinates beautifully with virtually every garden layout.

Bees House FAQ

We hoped that we could answer the most important questions you had about beehives. Take a look at the next section for a few more essential questions that focus on crucial aspects of owning and operating a bee's house.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is It About My Home That Bees Find So Appealing?

Having a bee house in your garden will make it more likely for bees to visit your property, but if you want to increase your chances of success, you can also try using honey, beeswax, or lemongrass oil to lure bees to your property. Lemongrass oil has a scent that is similar to that of bee pheromones.

When They Are Inside A Bee House, What Do The Bees Do?

Bees will bring nectar and pollen to a bee house, where they will then lay their larvae after feeding on the nectar and pollen. The birds construct their nest in this manner. Gain a better understanding of the various kinds of bee homes.

In A Bee House, You'll Find What Species Of Bees?

Because they do not require a hive for their survival, solitary bees are the ones that will typically inhabit a bee house. Bee houses and hotels are homes for various bee species, including Mason bees, orchard bees, and solitary bees.

What Does A Bee House Look Like?

A bee house is a sturdy structure (built from wood, plastic, or metal) filled with teeny, tiny tubes (often constructed of reeves, cardboard, or bamboo) in which bees nest. Bees build their colonies in these tubes. Learn more about bee houses by reading more.

Bees House, An Essential For Any Homestead

The Homestead Essentials bees house is another choice that is resistant to the elements and made from bamboo. It has the appearance of a conventional dwelling. Because of its unique, (in terms of bees) size can also hold a more significant number of cocoons.

And That Is How You Construct A Just Stunning Home For Bees!

There is potential for variety and ingenuity when it comes to constructing a home for bees. All that is required to attract bees is a willingness to do so and adhere to a small number of fundamental guidelines (such as keeping the diameter of the tubes small, for example).

attracting bees

attracting bees

Bee houses are not only simple to construct, but they also make a lovely addition to any garden! If you've never had one before, you're losing out on a great chance to get to know the bees and become their buddy.

Build a bee home or purchase one already created, and then share your experience with us either here or on one of the several social networking platforms. We are looking forward to receiving a message from you.


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