Turn An Old Tin Can Into The Cutest Habitat For Visiting Bees With A DIY
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Bees are crucial to healthy ecosystems and even our very survival. These little buzzing pollinators fertilize the plants that produce one in three bites of food we eat. What's more, there are 4,000 native bee species in North America and one in four are at risk of extinction. As human activity encroaches on vital wild bee habitats and pesticides, climate change, and disease threaten bee populations, it makes sense to learn about the types of beneficial bees you want in your garden and tips to attract them. Native bees need a place to nest and rest, so why not turn an old tin can into an adorable bee house?
It's especially useful to more than 75% of bee species that are solitary. Female solitary bees usually build their nests in the ground or in dead wood. You can help them by filling your tin can bee house with materials they use for nesting. It's designed to attract renter bees, like mason bees, leaf-cutter bees and wool-carder bees. Plus, with its bright, playful appearance, this tin can bee house will bring a smile to your face every time you see it.
To reuse this common household item to make your garden a pollinator haven, gather a few materials. Besides a large tin can, such as a coffee can, you'll need two bottle caps, a set of googly eyes, some black pipe cleaners, at least four colorful glass beads, and some Gosknor Plastic Mesh Canvas Sheets. Choose a low-VOC, water-based, direct-to-metal, interior-exterior paint in light yellow, which will keep the can cooler in hot weather, and black. For tools, you'll need a drill, some sandpaper or steel wool, some painter's tape, and a hot glue gun.
How to craft a cheerful nest for bees from a tin can
Ready to bring more bees into your yard and garden with this clever DIY? First, clean the tin can thoroughly with a nontoxic cleaner, rinse it with fresh water, and dry it well. Drill four holes in one side of the can: two near the opening and two in the center. Then drill another four to six holes in the opposite side of the can. Rough up the metal using sandpaper or steel wool to prepare it for painting. Paint the entire can light yellow and then use the painter's tape to mark a series of stripes.
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Paint the stripes black, then paint a smile on the base of the can. Glue on the bottle caps with googly eyes. Thread two black pipe cleaners through the first set of holes in the top for antennae. Thread more pipe cleaners through the holes in the bottom of the can, adding a glass bead to the end of each pipe cleaner. Cut wings from the black mesh canvas and hot glue them to the top. Thread one last black pipe cleaner through the remaining holes in the top of the can to create a loop for hanging your completed bee house in your backyard.
Your cute new bee house is sure to create a buzz with family members and insect visitors. Fill the can with bee-friendly nesting materials — cardboard tubes sealed at one end with a bit of mud, dry reed stalks, raspberry, bee balm, and sunflower stems, and other natural materials that will stay dry and are unlikely to grow mold. Hang your bee house in the shade, as extreme temperatures can kill bees. Remove the old materials annually, switching them with new, fresh materials.