Bee my guest: Northerners build hotels for pollinators as spring unfolds

Just like humans, some bee species are struggling with a housing supply shortage.

Similarities between the bee and human experience don't stop there, according to Laurentian retired professor of entomology Joe Shorthouse. 

"Bees like to live together, but they still need their own place. Just like units in an apartment complex," he said.

Once they move in somewhere, they'll do what some humans do: stock up on food and set up rooms for their offspring.

This is where bee hotels come in.

These are wooden structures that provide a nesting space for some bee species. 

They can be made from wood scraps, milk cartons, bamboo sticks, cardboard, and other natural materials. They can also be bought online or in retail stores.

Bee hotels just need to have a tube-like opening in their structure for a female bee to set up her home. In northern Ontario, there are hundreds of bee species that spend their days foraging for pollen. 

They tend to be smaller than the introduced honey bees, and don't collect honey.

"Many of these bees may not find a place to build their nest to raise a family," he said. "As a result, they are going to die before they have a chance to do so."

Shorthouse says that setting up bee hotels in gardens, parks and other green spaces can increase the odds of these animals surviving. 

"We're only providing something nature already provides, but adding more," he said.

Jason Stewart, a visual arts teacher at the Espanola High School, wanted to offer a project that was both visually appealing and impactful. 

After a discussion on the importance of biodiversity, his Grade 9 students decided to complete an unfinished bee hotel project started by a previous teacher.