The BeePot Bee Hotel is a fantastic concrete planter which doubles as a nesting place for solitary bees with space for pollinator friendly planting. Available in a range of colours, they make ideal gifts for nature lovers and gardeners. This is the larger size, the mini version is also available.
Each BeePot contains cavities for solitary bees to lay their eggs - they will then seal the entrance with mud or chewed-up vegetation. The offspring will emerge in the following spring and the cycle begins again.
Bee Blocks are cast from concrete using 75% waste material from the Cornish china clay industry. This makes them both long-lasting and environmentally friendly.
The BeePot should be positioned in a warm sunny spot, preferably on a south-facing wall, with no vegetation in front of the holes. Ideally they should be positioned at a height of at least 1 metre from the ground. It is highly recommended that bee-friendly plants are located nearby so that the bees using the BeePot have food, otherwise it is unlikely that the BeePot will be used. Lavender, honeysuckle and buddleia are all pollinator-friendly plants. The planter has drainage holes, allowing the soil to be easily drained.
Solitary bees are non-aggressive and as such are suitable for gardens with pets and children. Solitary bees will not sting you unless you handle them roughly or annoy them, and even then their stings are not painful. They are a vital part of your local biodiversity and should be encouraged and cherished, particularly by gardeners as they are vital for the pollination of fruit crops. Bee populations are in decline and introducing measures now to reverse this is absolutely essential. By having the Beepot or the smaller version, the Mini, in your garden, allotment or urban space you are helping the bees by providing a nesting place for them so they can continue with the vital pollination work they do.