Creating a bee hotel

Spring is finally here, the birds are back and it’s time for the bees to come out of hibernation, and some of them are just looking for a little peace and quiet.

Contrary to popular knowledge, honeybees don’t all live in hives by the thousands. Most are shown in mass swarms in their hives, which can house anywhere from 20,000 to 80,000 bees, but surprisingly there is a population of solitary bees who would rather live alone than in a colony. It’s usually a female bee who lays her own eggs and gathers her own food. There are no workers or queen. They look for places like hollow plant stems, holes in wood, or other natural nooks to make a nest, but bee hotels can offer refuge where nesting opportunities are limited.

What is a Bee Hotel? Something like a birdhouse for bees, and the Rutland Free Library and the MINT Makerspace are hosting a Bee Hotels program on Wednesday, April 30 in the teen room at the library from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., just in time to make them for spring.

“The hotels are great for giving them a safe place to rest, especially for solitary bees,” said RFL Young Adult Librarian Tiaunna Leddick. “I wanted to offer this craft because it looked fun, but also because it’s the perfect time of year to help our pollinators.”

“We did something similar in 2021 with insect habitats,” said Mint Executive Director Kim Griffin.

Bee hotels started back in the 1950s, with paper straws and wooden blocks with holes that bees could nest in. But they are a relatively new concept considering that it’s said that European honeybees were brought to America in the 1600s. Since then the honeybee has become essential in food production, pollinating more than 80 commercial crops like fruits, nuts, and berries. Our overall food supply would be smaller and less nutritious without the bees.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture survey showed Vermont as the leading honey producing state in New England, with over 12,000 hives producing anywhere from 400,000 to 1 million pounds of honey every year. And because of the types of plants that grow in our state’s soil, our honey is known for its mild flavor.

Bee hotels support native bee and wasp populations, they are entertaining and a chance to learn about pollinators up close. They can also help pollination for gardens at home. If you see some type of plug at the entrance of a bee hotel, usually made of leaves or mud, it means someone is home!

They’re also fun to make, usually from simple materials like old coffee cans.

“Last year at this time we made bat houses and the year before that bird houses, so the bees are the next to get houses,” Griffin said. “Our education coordinator Marissa develops programming that is safe and hands-on. We have a roving box of hand tools that are kid-friendly. We bring a kit, so families can complete the whole project in the time that we have at the library with the tools that we bring.”

The MINT has partnered with the library for youth programming often and Griffin said, “We love supplementing the exploration they do through literacy, and we love the hands-on programs, so we try to come up with programs that are seasonal (or) complement what families and kiddos are reading. Amanda (Munch, Children’s Services Librarian) and Tiaunna are fantastic in finding books that complement our programs.”

With the Bee Hotels, participants will get to design their own hotels and Leddick said, “The teens always surprise me with the direction they take their designs, (and) The MINT instructors are very flexible and very knowledgeable.”

The event is open to ages 12 through 18 and registration is required — supplies are limited and it’s been a popular event.

“When we did bats and birds, we planned for 30 and often get more than 30 and end up inviting folks to come to the MINT to work on the project,” Griffin said. “We try to support beyond that but 30 is our cap.”

The event takes place at the Rutland Free Library, 10 Court St. in Rutland on Wednesday, April 30, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. To register, visit www.rutlandfree.org or call 802-773-1860.

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