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  • Author Author: ralphjy
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Save the Bees Design Challenge - Finisher's Prize

ralphjy

I received my finisher's prize yesterday.  It wasn't the Bee Hotel that I was expecting, but an "equivalent" Insect Hotel.

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I'll admit that I was initially disappointed because I was expecting to see something that was more bee focused (more tubes), but I realized that I should give it a try and see if it can also attract other beneficial insects (the box suggests that the little pile of wood shavings might attract lady bugs and lacewings).

I realized that both the Bee Hotel and the Insect Hotel have really short bamboo tubes (3.4 - 3.8 inches).  Not sure how much this will impact the bees as I've read that females tend to incubate in deeper tubes.  Guess I have something to learn.  I bought a mason bee house for my son on his birthday and it had 6 inch tubes.

Here's a pic of the Bee Hotel for reference.

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I found a convenient fence post in a semi-shaded area.  Now to wait and watch.

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I'm too late for mason bees this year, so I'm hoping that I can get some leafcutter bees.  I saw a lot of mason bees in late spring, but unfortunately haven't seen any leafcutters yet (not sure that I've ever seen one).  I see mainly bumble bees and honey bees in our garden now.  I noticed another bee that hangs around the lettuce, but I took a picture of one and it classifies as a European paper wasp.  Not sure how it made it across the pond or why it would hang around lettuce.  I haven't seen them land anywhere except on the leaves.

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Something is making holes in the eggplant leaves, but I haven't seen what's doing it.  Maybe there's hope... 

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