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.
For the record: Photos were taken June 28. Drilled the holes around mid-June.
ReplyDeleteAfter 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.
ReplyDelete