Native Bee Habitat
Habitat Tips and Instructions
Most native bees nest in the ground, in wood, or in stems. Since humans tend to like orderly yards, we clear away much of the old wood and stems that native bees need. To encourage native bees to nest in your yard, leave bare patches of earth, old hollow or pithy stems, and old wood for them to use. If you want a more orderly option to attract native bees, a native bee hotel is a great addition to your garden. MSU has a thorough guide to help you build and manage native bee hotels: Building and Managing Bee Hotels for Wild Bees.
North Carolina State also has a helpful guide: How to Manage a Successful Bee Hotel.
Learn about bees in Michigan: Bees of Michigan Handout and Common Bees in Michigan
Bees of Ohio: A Field Guide: this 2020 pdf guide features bees found in the state. It includes bee descriptions, identification tips and color photographs. Produced by the North American Native Bee Collaborative.
Webinar recording about bumble bee identification, life history, and factors impacting bumble bee populations: Bumble Bees of the Great Lakes Region by Dr. David Lowenstein, MSU Extension
Webinar recording about wild bees: Cabin Fever Conversations - Wild Bees by Dr. Kelsey Graham
Check out some of the other great native bee habitat resources below:
- Xerces Society: Nests for Native Bees
- Xerces Society: Tunnel Nests for Native Bees: Nest Construction and Management
- Xerces Society: 5 Ways to Increase Nesting Habitat for Native Bees
- Cornell University: Suburban Bees
- Cornell University: Creating a pollinator garden for native specialist bees of New York and the Northwest
You might also like to learn more about the native pollinators that you want to support! Check out some other native pollinator resources below:
- United States Geological Survey Pollinator Library
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife: Pollinators Page
- Powerpoint: The Birds and the bees and...the beetles? Why we should care about pollinators
