Have you got a bee hotel in your garden? You do? Then you probably know what a joy it is to watch them bees work in it everyday of their short lives.
My husband is a pretty busy person and till I moved here he hasn't really taken much notice on them buzzing creatures. I, on the other hand love them so freakin' much - it is almost an obsession.
Have you ever watched or observed a bee or two do their task once in your whole life? Then you probably can attest that they are freaking essential in this life. Next to the ants, these buzzing creatures are the most zealous of them all. They work till 8pm in Summer here and sometimes even later, specially them bumblebees that I think I may say that beats the lazies. Thanks to them fruit buffs like I am can enjoy them fruits for all seasons!
I got two bee hotels in my backyard and I actually wanted to have more in my vegetable garden but my husband talked me out of it because there are more beaked creatures in there. Don't get me wrong, I love them beaked creatures, too just because they make gardening so much fun singing and doing their chirping concerts while am tinkering in my garden.
On the other hand, I love the bees more! This year, I wasn't able to watch the bees that were checked in last year - hatch except for one.
This year, different kinds of bees utilized both bee hotels. The new one even got the most checked ins. During my coffee breaks or each free time I spent in my garden, I looked forward to watching workers check some eggs in the bee hotel and I would happily report to my husband how many holes have been sealed.
My husband would sometimes say;
"Your bees, have they paid the rent?" ..
I would reply the usual;
"uhmm.. unfortunately no, they knew it's for free."
He'd just kid back;
"What? Again? That would have all been passive income had they paid their rent honey."
If only those rooms in the bee hotels really generate money...
I would have already struck it rich because they use it all year through. However, they actually fight, too. I don't know why but this hole must be a suite?
Boy, those worker bees really worked hard too. How did I know? They've carried sand? mud? clay? (can't tell) on their bodies and my guess is in their mouth and probably compulsively spat it in the hole (cause I can't really clearly see - my phone camera just wasn't able to capture that plus I have to take the videos pretty quick cause there are birds around us and I don't want to give them bee hotels under the bushy apple stems - away to them beaked creatures).
We surely have no wet mud nor sand nor clay and I saw them fly over the conifers back and forth doing this every freaking day of their short lived lives.
It wasn't just one sort of a bee that used them holes and sometimes they fight for the same spot. One thing I also noticed, they cleaned the whole place first cause there were remnants of last year's seal on each holes and the day later I saw they were all gone.
I guess had I not been sick, I wouldn't have managed to watch them, capture their behavior and found out that they were all different.
On some days, I wondered.. "What on earth are they doing? Work and hide?
I also found out that they actually seal the holes with sand counter clockwise
While I was watching one at work, [another one went in the hole at the bottom and seem to have brought the egg
Here's the the egg sitter at work the next day.
By the way, they seal them in the middle first and then again, in the opening of each bamboo holes. Talk about precision, diligence and patience.
Here's what they've accomplished all summer long.
For some days, I wasn't able to sit in the garden for it has been raining and sometimes I have no time to. Last Monday, we were just at home and we decided to have brunch in the garden since we woke up freaking late. As usual, I checked on my bee hotel again and here's what I found.
I could only think of a beaked creature.
Suspect #1 : The sparrows pecking on the green aphids on the apple trees.
Suspect #2: The black bird couple in our garden. On the contrary, they haven't been around it can't be them! Plus those black birds were even pecking on snails while those bees were working and never set a beak on them. I refuse to believe that.
Suspect #3: The doves trying to nest on top of the pine tree in the middle of the garden. Must be their version of vendetta for being shooed away with a water gun.
Suspect #4: The magpies that terrorize the swallow's nest, that destroyed the blackbird's nest on the sycamore tree and even chased away them doves.
Unfortunately, I wasn't there and I could only conclude it was the magpies for they are the rudest of them birds! I somewhat blamed myself because a week before the incident, I actually pruned the apple trees just because they've caught mildew that seem to be around specially on young acorn trees at this time of the year. I had to let go of them stems above the bee hotels so that must have given the bee hotel away. Oh bother.. hard lesson learned but next year, I'm going to put nets on each bee hotel.
I am wondering whether I should actually move them. Them magpies are too damn intelligent they'd probably check the place back next year.
What do you think?
Should I move the bee hotel to another place or just put a net to cover them and make sure the beaked creatures won't be able to reach them holes next year?
edit 1 : added two images
edit 2 : got rid of 'em html codes
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