Clermont County Public Library Bee Hotel Workshop

Cardinal Staff worked with Clermont County’s Miami township and Union township library staff to offer bee hotel-building workshops to over 50 families. Library card holders of all ages came out to learn about the solitary bees living in their backyards and build habitat for them.

Unlike European honey bees, solitary bees do not live in colonies. Instead, they build individual cells. 90% of bees are solitary and they are as diverse as they are numerous. They make nests in a wide variety of materials as well. Some species nest in uncovered soil, some in dried reeds or grasses. Their habitat is important because these bees are more effective pollinators than European honey bees and because their habitat is in short supply. So, attendees of this workshop learned about these hard-working creatures, and left with their own bee hotels, ready to make their yards or apartments awnings, or condo decks more pollinator-friendly. For more information about scheduling your own bee hotel workshop, contact Anna at anna@cardinallandconservancy.org .