Build a Bee House

You might wonder why you would want to attract bees to your yard. These bee houses are built for mason bees, which rarely sting but are great pollinators. They also do not drill holes in wood like carpenter bees.

Average Rating:	1 2 3 4 5
Participant Age:	12 and up
Approximate Cost:	Under $10
Duration:	1 to 60 minutes
Difficulty:	1 2 3 4 5
Physical Challenge:	1 2 3 4 5

Board (scrap lumber is perfect, untreated wood)
Drill and drill bits (1/8 up to 3/8”)
Drill bit - 5/16ths of an inch or similar creates a hole that attracts Mason bees
Hammer and a few nails, or screw and screwdriver
Plastic band (optional, but an easy way to mount your bee house to a fence or post)
Safety glasses and gloves
Saw (hand saw or power saw)
Untreated wood, such as a short log or a chunk of firewood

Cut the wood pieces.

Cut the log to a length you'd like, that will fit in the location where you intend to hang it. Approximately one foot tall is a good length.

Cut the flat board into a square shape that is the same size as one end of your log. This is to provide something of a "roof" on the bee house.

Drill holes in the log.

Drill holes into one side of the log. Make them about 4 inches (10 cm) deep and about ½ inch (1½ cm) apart. If you use a drill bit that is about 5/16th of an inch wide, you will attract Mason bees. Mason bees rarely sting.

Make the roof.
Nail or screw on the roof to the top of the log. This will make a roof that will keep rain from running into the holes.

Place house outside.

Set the house on a fencepost, a tree stump, or another stable location. Look for a place that gets morning sun and shade the rest of the day.

If your log is not too wide around, you can use a plastic clasp to hold it in place against your fence.

Be sure to never spray insecticides near your bee house. If your neighbor uses insecticides, mount your bee house far from their property.

If you need to move your bee house, try to do this after November.

Advanced Search >

Explore with a Backyard Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of natural items appropriate for the season and location, and see how many your children can find.
Play the Mystery Bag Nature Game

Gather nature objects, put them in a bag, and have a friend guess what they are without looking.
Play Rainbow BINGO and Make a Recycled BINGO Card Holder

Observe colors around you with rainbow BINGO, and make a cool recycled BINGO card holder.
Take a Circle Walk

Hunt for circles on your next hike outside.
Investigate a Rotten Log

What's so great about a dead log? Pick apart your own rotten log for clues.

Your First Name:
Your Last Name:
Your Email Address:
Your Friend's Email Address(es) (up to 10 email addresses, separated by commas):
Your Personal Message (optional):
Yes, I would like to receive National Wildlife Federation emails.
	Cancel

From:	Ranger Rick, rick@nwf.org
Subject:	{ Your name goes here } sent you a laugh from Ranger Rick
Message:	The following message was sent to you by { Name } from Ranger Rick's Laugh Finder website: { Your note } Click here to find the answer on Ranger Rick's Laugh Finder >>

From:	Ranger Rick, rick@nwf.org
Subject:	{ Your name goes here } sent you a question from Ranger Rick
Message:	The following message was sent to you by { Name } from Ranger Rick's website: { Your note } Click here to find the answer on Ranger Rick's website >>