I heard you should spread out the tubes instead of having them all in one place. Bee hotels are cute but can turn into a buffet for predators. Also, solitary bees like their space. Instead of printing one, you could use untreated wood or other natural materials. I’m not an expert, but that’s what I’ve learned.
@Aki
I’m thinking of painting or printing the ends of the hotel white to scare off birds. I’ll also place it high enough to avoid raccoons, though I don’t think many are around her neighborhood.
Kiran said:
@Aki
I’m thinking of painting or printing the ends of the hotel white to scare off birds. I’ll also place it high enough to avoid raccoons, though I don’t think many are around her neighborhood.
If you don’t clean them out each season, parasites can spread easily. I had one for two seasons but got rid of it after learning that. A better option might be drilling holes in a log and spacing them out more.
Kiran said:
@Aki
I’m thinking of painting or printing the ends of the hotel white to scare off birds. I’ll also place it high enough to avoid raccoons, though I don’t think many are around her neighborhood.
Here are a few tips for making a bee hotel that works well:
- Make it a two-piece design with a removable back for easy cleaning. Cleaning is important to prevent parasites from spreading between seasons.
- Space out the entrances. Solitary bees like their space. You could also fill some of the holes with sticks to create buffers and make it easier for them to find their specific hole.
- Check what kinds of solitary bees live in your area and if they have specific needs. This can help you customize it better.
Good luck with the project, and I’d love to see how it turns out!
3D-printed bee houses might not be a great idea based on what others are saying. Why not try printing bee ladders for bird baths or water pools instead? That way, you’re helping them out in a safer way.
Plastic bee hotels aren’t great 
. As others have mentioned, they need to be cleaned regularly to prevent spreading diseases. A wooden or bamboo one might be better, but make sure the tubes are long enough—8 inches minimum! A lot of the popular ones are too small for bees to use properly.
Another option is to leave plant stems in your garden. Solitary bees love those and they’ve been using them forever. Just leave at least 8 inches of stems from wildflowers or other plants.
I got one as a gift a while back. It’s nice, but I don’t think it attracted more bees than the flowers in my garden. Mine was made of wood and bamboo, cut into small pieces to make a little house.
Swapping out tubes or replacing the whole hotel every couple of years is better for preventing disease. Parasites or diseases from one year could affect the bees the next year. If you’re careful about cleaning, a bee hotel can still be helpful.
I’m not sure about 3D-printed ones, though. There are too many unknowns, like how they hold up to weather or whether they might harm the bees in unexpected ways.
@Eli
The filament I’m using is 20% wood fiber and 80% plastic, so I don’t think it will rot. I might add some branches to the top to protect it from wind and rain.
Kiran said:
@Eli
The filament I’m using is 20% wood fiber and 80% plastic, so I don’t think it will rot. I might add some branches to the top to protect it from wind and rain.
You might want to talk to a beekeeper. They might say the plastic could get too hot and harm the bees.
Kiran said:
@Eli
The filament I’m using is 20% wood fiber and 80% plastic, so I don’t think it will rot. I might add some branches to the top to protect it from wind and rain.
Just so you know, woodpeckers might destroy it if they find it.
If she likes bees, consider getting her a native flower seed kit, some plant pots, or even a unique plant. Those would also help bees a lot!
@Reed
This is solid advice. Tiny pest flies can lay eggs in the bee cocoons. You need to take the house apart and clean it at the end of the season to keep the bees healthy.
I’ve read that predators are catching on to these hotels. They make hunting too easy for them.
Mine ended up being a buffet for woodpeckers.
A bee hotel sounds cool, but wouldn’t it be easier to let bees live naturally? What’s the main benefit of building one?
Tory said:
A bee hotel sounds cool, but wouldn’t it be easier to let bees live naturally? What’s the main benefit of building one?
A bee hotel is for solitary bee species, not honeybees. Solitary bees don’t live in hives, so these hotels give them a safe place to lay eggs and rest.
@Eli
Honestly, you don’t need to buy anything fancy. Just pile up some branches in a shady spot. I do this around my garden, and it works great for helping bees without spending money.
Rowen said:
@Eli
Honestly, you don’t need to buy anything fancy. Just pile up some branches in a shady spot. I do this around my garden, and it works great for helping bees without spending money.
I’m a beekeeper, and while branch piles are great, they’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. Different species have different needs. Bee hotels mimic dried stems or hollowed wood, which some bees use naturally. It’s great you’re helping, but there’s room for lots of approaches!