Bees are an important sign of a healthy ecology. Bee populations have been dwindling in recent years and building homes is just one way of encouraging them to stick around. Follow the steps below to build your own nesting box to attract bees to your garden.
Take care around tools
Don't forget to ask for an adult's help before using tools or equipment.
Place the side panel on top of the base panel and drill 2 holes 10mm from the bottom. Do the same for the second panel. Hammer nails into pre-drilled holes.
Attach the small wooden block inside the box completing a square shape for the nesting materials to sit. Hammer nails into pre-drilled holes in recycled plastic roof.
Check all your edges line up and everything is secured well. Drill holes in the backing board that you can use to drill the bee box into a wall in your garden.
Since solitary bees - like the ones you will be attracting - like to burrow you'll have to fill the box with tubes and cylinder shapes. Add a wooden block the same width as the bee box (with pre-drilled holes of various sizes.) Roll paper around a pencil as tight as possible and secure with a piece of sticky tape. Snip off excess with scissors.
Make sure there are no gaps by filling as much of the space as possible with the bits of bamboo and paper tubes. Finally put the bee box in a secluded part of your garden an wait for bees to take up residence.
More craft activities
Discover more fun craft activities to keep you occupied all through the year.
Encourage birds to visit your garden or outdoor space throughout winter and early spring by making these nourishing fat cakes. They're also a great way to make use of your food scraps and yoghurt pots.
