How to make a native insect hotel

A blue-banded bee hovering near a blossoming purple flower

Native wildlife needs to find shelter from bad weather and predators. An insect hotel is a structure that provides shelter and nesting sites for insects and will help to attract insects like native bees to your garden.

Different structures will attract different types of insects, depending on their habitat preference.

Cavity nesting bees

To make a nest for bees like the colourful Masked Bees (Hylaeinae):

  1. Select a container 5-10cm wide and 10-20cm long – ideas include metal cans, ceramic plant pots, ceramic mug
  2. Fill the container with long hollow items – locally sourced reeds, pithy stems, bamboo, paper straws, grass, twigs, sticks.
    • The hollow items must be 3-10mm wide – stems wider than 10mm in diameter are too big for native bees
    • Bee hotel size – bigger is not better! It is better to have lots of little hotels rather than one big hotel
  3. Place the hotel in an open area with no branches in the way. Bees are shy so keep the bee hotel away from busy paths
    • Select a location with morning sun. Avoid shady areas or facing the hotel south.
    • Place the hotel 1-2 metres high (at eye level)
  4. Surround the container with lots of indigenous flowering plants. Plants as many plants as possible from many different plant species to provide lots of nectar.

Ground nesting bees

Some bees, like the Blue-Banded bee, nest in the ground - you can make them a home too!

  1. Get a container – 10cm wide x 6cm high x 14cm long – container ideas include concrete blocks, milk cartons, wooden boxes, ceramic plant pots
  2. Fill the container with a mud mix of part clay and part sand. The mix must clump together but also crumble so bees can dig in it. You can make a few small indents in the mud to help the bees start digging.
  3. Once the container with mud mix has dried place it in an open area with no branches in the way. Bees are shy so keep the bee hotel away from busy paths
    • Select a location with morning sun. Avoid shady areas or facing the hotel south.
    • You can stack the containers 6 tall x 2 wide
  4. Surround the container with lots of indigenous flowering plants. Plants as many plants as possible from many different plant species to provide lots of nectar.
  5. Ground nesting bees will nest in the ground so leave a few patches of bare soil without mulch in your garden. 

Wooden blocks

To make a bee hotel for the beautiful Leaf Cutter Bees (Megachilids):

  1. Select native hardwood timber. Native bees like gumtrees, banksias and wattles. Native hardwood is long lasting and produces smoother holes when drilled which bees love. Don’t use treated wood as it will harm native bees.
  2. Drill holes 3-10mm wide in diameter – holes bigger than 10mm are too big for native bees and just attract spiders
    • Drill holes slightly upward so water does not pool in the drilled holes
  3. Add a roof to stop the hotel from getting wet.
  4. Place the hotel in an open area with no branches in the way. Bees are shy so keep the bee hotel away from busy paths
    • Select a location with morning sun. Avoid shady areas or facing the hotel south.
    • Place the hotel 1-2 metres high (at eye level)
  5. Surround the container with lots of indigenous flowering plants. Plants as many plants as possible from many different plant species to provide lots of nectar.
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