# Artificial bee tree.



## Darren (May 10, 2002)

I've been thinking about plantings that would feed pollinators. Along with that I'm wondering about the possible dearth of habitat due to logging. Trees don't have the girth of those of long ago. Anyone have an idea for an artificial structure that would substitute for a hollow tree?

The idea is that a planting that provides blossoms for feeding pollinators needs to be near bee shelters. The shelters could be built to provide protection from weather. They do not need to be constructed for honey removal.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

In my opinion, a wooden hive IS an artificial hollow tree! Though an animal with an itchy back cannot easily topple a hollow tree and a hive will go right over: a neighbor's horses used to get out and I lost a hive that way. It was winter and when the hive was on its side the bees just died.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

I'm not thinking about harvesting the honey. I'd rather build a structure that can be placed and left undisturbed preferably off the ground in a tree or on the side of a building or attached to a pole. I'm looking for thoughts and ideas.


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## Beulah_Land (Mar 24, 2014)

Darren,

I may be over-simplifying this...or perhaps I simply do not understand the question. Either way, I will take a stab at this.

I am assuming that you have land or at least access to suitable land where you could erect such "homes" for bees. If so, I can think of a couple of ways to accomplish this.

The first way would be to acquire some naturally decay resistant lumber. I am thinking cypress, cedar or locust. There are probably others. Using this material, create some boxes of various sizes. I visualize boxes made from 1x10x8 or perhaps this size cut in half to make two boxes of 1x10x4? These boxes would be attached to fairly substantial slow growing deciduous trees such as oak or maple. I think the slow growth is important to prevent the boxes from being "pushed" away from the trunk in just a few years. I think I would cut a horizontal opening in one side of the box... Maybe 3/8" x 4" to allow bees to enter and leave. 

I would use stainless steel fasteners...deformed shank nails or screws instead of galvanized...both for toxicity reasons and because galvanized fasteners will eventually fail.

The second is merely a variation of the first...building similar boxes and mounting them on posts or poles. 

There is a lot more that should go into this...sealing the joints...maybe adding cleats inside the boxes for the bees to attach comb to? Siting the boxes to take advantage of windbreaks and and avoiding driving rain. Applying a weather resistant paint or stain to the boxes?

I have to believe some graduate assistant at some university has gathered enough data on wild hives to at least speculate on the most promising dimensions of such a box. I know I have seen hundreds of photos of hollow trees, shed walls, attics, etc...so that may not even enter into the equation.

I believe, in the end, this project will be a labor of love with lots of trial and error. I also think your budget will drive a lot of this. Oh...speaking of graduate students...you might visit the entomology department at your state flagship university. You might enlist the aid and support of some hard charging grad students to help you. I smell a Master's thesis cooking here!


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

You keep saying pollinators, So many different ones to make a home for. But for starters if it is honey bees you can find plans for wood duck boxes and honey bees will move in to them.
I have did removals from a fellows wood duck boxes till he just took them down from that area.

Here is a start to plans to build them.

http://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-biology/wood-duck-boxes

 Al


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Those are two good answers. Thank you both. I'm considering osage orange for the wood. Fastening the artificial tree to a real tree and allowing for the real tree's growth is something to be resolved. Bees seem adaptable. I suspect there might be a reason they might prefer one cavity over another.


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