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Invertebrate Homes

Try making a home for the invertebrates of your area.

Bee Hotel

There are different kinds of bee hotels designed to attract specific species. Most of the 2000 species of bees in Australia are solitary and don't live in hives. This is great to make using off-cuts of wood..

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Step 1
Get some bamboo.
Step 2
Gather your materials, including a saw, measuring tape, drill, nails, hammer and wood.
Step 3
Measure and cut your timber - you are basically making a small box minus one side (which is the opening). The roof can be larger to provide weather protection.
Step 4
Measure and cut lots of bamboo with varied cavities between 2mm-9mm. Cut to a length that fits inside your hotel.
Step 5
Predrill your holes.
Step 6
Nail it together.
Step 7
Fill it with bamboo.
Step 8
Put it in a sheltered spot that receives morning sun and shade thereafter and wait for the bees to visit.
A recycled option
You can also use recycled materials to build your hotel - like an old drawer!

Bee Bundle

This is a very quick way to set up a home for bees. You can use a mix of bamboo, pithy stems (such as lantana or roses) and curly bark - and secure it with wire.

Step 1
Gather your materials.
Step 2
Wire up your bundle.
Step 3
Secure the bundle in a windless, shady spot.

Bee Rounds

Another easy project to create a home for bees. You will need to collect some trees branches that have fallen off a tree, a saw and a drill with different size bits.

Step 1
Cut some pieces of round branches.
Step 2
Use a long drill bit to create different size holes between 2-9mm wide.
Step 3
Secure them in a spot that gets morning sun and shade thereafter.

Bee Mudbrick Village

These homes are perfect for the beautiful blue-banded bees. The materials you will need are any recycleable containers, some clay, a bucket and water.

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boy with box of recycled materials
Step 1
Collect your materials.
hands with clay over a red bucket
Step 2
Use tennis court loam or collect some clay-rich soil.
hands crushing clay
Step 3
Crush and discard any big lumps.
closeup of mud in a ball
Step 4
Mix clay with water to a good consistency.
a perfect clay ball being shown to the camera
Step 5
The consistency should not be too sloppy or too dry.
clay being poked in to the end of the wood
Step 6
Stuff the clay into the containers.
boy using his little finger to make a hole in the clay
Step 7
Poke a little pilot hole in each one.
three clay stuffed pieces of wood tied together in a sunny spot
Step 8
Place it in the morning sun.
Banner image of a Blue Banded Bee by Jenny Pattison
All other images by Abbie Mitchell.

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