Solitary Bee Hotels AT NCSU

Video by Carla Davis

Meet the bees

 Mason Bees (OSMIA)

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Female Osmia (Photo: virginia.edu)
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Osmia lignaria foraging on apple flowers (Photo: USDA)
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Male Osmia emerging from a nest (Photo: urbanpollinators.com)

Leafcutter Bees (MEGACHILE)

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Megachile using leaf material to fill the reed (Photo: Opal)
       Solitary bees are important pollinators that use a wide range of specially adapted pollen-carrying structures on their bodies to collect provisions for their offspring.  Most solitary bees nest either in the ground or in cavities in hollow reeds or logs.  
       The female typically builds a series of cells in which a single egg is laid and provisioned with a store of pollen and nectar.  Each egg transitions to a larva, a pupa, and then an adult inside of their natal cell, at which point they emerge and begin the cycle again.
       Cavity nesting solitary bees, which make up a large proportion of the 500 species in North Carolina, perhaps have a significantly greater risk of decline due to extensive deforestation and landscaping practices that remove nesting habitat.  
       With the support from the North Carolina State University Sustainability Fund (2017), we designed and built three hotels (see below) across NC State's campus to promote bee habitat and public outreach. A special thanks to Crown Bees for providing the nesting material.

 Read more  here
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Small Carpenter Bees (CERATINA)

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Ceratina resting on a rock. (Photo: L. Shyamal)

What's inside?

       Hidden inside the holes and reeds are beautifully organized row of eggs. Each cell is given the perfect amount of pollen and nectar to grow and sustain them until the following year when the next generation emerges.
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Cross-section of nesting reed with eggs (Photo: USDA)
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Further along cross-section showing larva stage.
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Seeing how the reed is filled can help determine who lives inside! (Photo: USDA)

Why a hotel?

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Educational sign posted at each hotel - designed by the Irwin Lab.
The bee hotels provide:
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  1. Nesting habitat for solitary cavity-nesting bees residing in developed urban environments.
  2. Engage the community and increase environmental awareness about the importance of native bees. 
  3. Encourage others to promote the preservation of natural nesting habitat throughout the city to counteract the decline of native bee populations.

Three Bee Hotels at NCSU

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Third hotel located on centennial campus at NCSU. From left, Sara June Giacomini and Jonathan Giacomini with their son Everest. Sara June led the project to receive the grant and Jonathan designed and built all three hotels. (Photo: Carla Davis).
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Located on NCSU main campus in front of Kilgore Hall near Hillsborough St. (Photo: SJ Giacomini)
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J. J. Giacomini (builder of hotels) and his son Everest in front of the hotel located in the Court of Carolina at NCSU. (Photo: SJ Giacomini)