Our PBS station shows a program called Growing a Greener World that is very interesting. Today's episode was on Solitary Bees and how to provide a home for them and help them increase in numbers. http://www.growingagreenerworld.com/sol ... llinators/ They featured the owner of http://www.crownbees.com/ and what they are doing to foster bees all over the country. I think I found a new project for hubby, we have a lonely cedar board, I have lots of scrap paper to make the tubes with and I know exactly where the new home will go.
Toni, if you run out of scrap paper, use drinking straws. Non-plastic straws are recommended, but not absolutely necessary. We did a "craft project" with some Webelos (tiny little Boy Scouts) making rounds of straws tied together with fishing twine (nylon doesn't rot). Then we stuck them in the crotches of trees or in shrubs that would support the straw homes. The kids enjoyed it; the bees enjoyed it; and my garden looked very strange for a season!
I had some paper straws out in a container a few years ago but squirrels kept pulling the straws out for some reason. That guy also had some tubes made from 6" lengths of hollow bamboo that will last a long time.
