The house design was inspired by some links I came across:
Nests for Native Bees - Invertebrate Conservation Fact Sheet
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Backyard Wildlife Habitat Tips
It simply involves drilling some holes of variable diameter and depth into wood. Since we have lots of dead birch stumps lying around, I thought I'd give it a try.
I was surprised to recently learn that most native bees do not form hives but live a primarily solitary life.
I will be keeping an eye on these homes to see what eventually emerges, though I may easily miss that event. Not sure if they are actually bee nests, or some other insect who prefers this convenient shelter in the dead paper birch stump.
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For the record: Photos were taken June 28. Drilled the holes around mid-June.
After reviewing the somewhat unchanged appearance of the material in the holes later in the summer, I have concluded the material inside is most likely a fungus of sorts feeding on the dead tree stump. I'll see what it looks like this spring and maybe dig a sample out for closer inspection.
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