By Megan Beach, CMNH Educator

Did you know that you can build a homemade house for bees to live in? Although bees will make their own hives in places like hollow trees, or by burrowing in the ground they also will move into a bee condo, that you can make at home with just a few materials.

What you need to make a bee condo:

• Cardboard pieces, or heavy card stock
• Empty paper towel roll cut in half
• Paper straws (important that they are not plastic)
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• Hot glue gun (Make sure to get a grown-up to help)
• Hole punch and pipe cleaner or string

Bees find a house made out of a bundle of paper straws with one side blocked off to be a welcoming place for a home. They also prefer darker colors for their houses (it reminds them of trees) so using a brown cardboard box or dark paper works the best.

Instructions:

1. Trim straws to the length of your cut paper towel roll and bundle them together with tape.
2. Once straws are bundled and taped fill the tube with them and secure with glue if needed.
3. Cut pieces of cardboard to fit securely around tubes in the shape of a house or tent to your liking and use the hot glue gun to fasten them together.
4. Make sure to add a piece of cardboard to the back to cover one side of your bee condo.
5. Use hole punch to string the pipe cleaner through the top of the house for easy hanging.

Optional:

Add moss, leaves or pinecones to the roof or any empty areas of your bee condo to help them feel more at home!

If bees do make a home in the condo be sure to not disturb them. Leave the bees alone so they can pollinate plants for us and make honey!