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Pollinator House Project
Pollinator House Project
As part of my Girl Scout Gold Award Project I am educating the public about the loss of habitats for pollinator insects and encouraging the use of pollinator houses.
Types of Pollinators
Types of Pollinators
There are many different kinds of pollinators besides bees and butterflies.
Other insects including beetles, moths and flies
Birds
Bats
Lizards
Why Pollinators are Important
Why Pollinators are Important
The loss of pollinators affects the availability of many foods we eat. Some of the plants that require pollinators to grow and produce are:
Many fruits including apples, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and peaches
Baking staples such as vanilla, almonds, and chocolate
Popular drinks such as coffee and tea
What a Pollinator House Is and How it Works
What a Pollinator House Is and How it Works
Pollinator houses are habitats you can create for your backyard or garden to provide new habitats for helpful pollinators.
These houses are low maintenance and are sustainable meaning after we set these up in various locations they don’t require a lot of care.
Having these houses in your backyard will provide habitats for pollinators such as solitary bees, ladybugs, lacewings and some butterflies, which will in turn increase the number of pollinators in our community.
Building a Pollinator House
Building a Pollinator House
Materials
Frame - this can be a wood frame or made out of recycled materials such as plastic bottles, milk cartons, or coffee cans. It should have enclosed sides and back and an open front.
Nesting Materials – Provide a variety of nesting materials
Biodegradable paper straws or hollow plant stalks such as from raspberries, Joe-Pye weed, bee balm, honeysuckle or reeds
Sticks and bark
Pinecones
Blocks of wood or larger pieces of log with various size holes drilled in them
Construction
The frame can be painted, if desired, or left natural.
Make sure there is a way to hang the house. In our wood frame house we used a mounting plate with a hole drilled for hanging.
Insert nesting materials inside the house frame.
Pack the hollow tubes or straws tightly so they don’t slide out easily.
Layer sticks, bark or pine cones for a variety of nesting options for your pollinators
Optionally, a wire mesh can be used to cover the opening and secure the materials inside.
Installation and Maintenance of a Pollinator House
Installation and Maintenance of a Pollinator House
Installation
Install your pollinator house against a solid object (post or outside wall).
Keep the opening free of obstructions like vegetation so bees and other pollinators can access it easily
For the most sun and warmth for your pollinators the opening of the pollinator should face south or southeast
Most bees search for pollen and nectar within a 300-foot radius so try to place your pollinator house near pollinating plants (flowers or flowering trees).
Maintenance
In the spring after bees emerge, clean out or replace the nesting materials used in your house.
The pollinator house can be re-used year after year to provide a home for pollinators.
A printable version of my Pollinator House instructions is available below:
Building a Pollinator House.pdfPage updated
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