Isodontia philadelphica, a grass-carrying wasp that provisions nests with paralyzed tree crickets. This individual emerged from a cocoon that was in the observation panel of my insect hotel. I'm hoping this year that some will move into the pitcher plant (Sarracenia sp.) that I have growing in my new mini pond. Because apparently they do that. #InsectHotel #wasp #crickets #insects #sarracenia

Georgia mason bee (Osmia georgica) exiting her nesting tunnel after depositing a load of pollen. I don't think I've ever seen one on any of the flowers in my yard but they are supposed to be generalists. That said, it's reported (by Paula Sharp & Ross Eatman) that they adore fleabane, positioning their head in the center of the flower and spinning around. #MasonBee #InsectHotel #BeeHotel #osmia #bee #bees #insect

This might be a record for me: 16 mason bee cocoons in a single nesting tube. The ones are on the left are larger and likely all females. The smaller ones on the right are males, who emerge first and then wait for females to come out. It's really cool how hymenopterans can control the sex of eggs they lay (males are from unfertilized eggs). Osmia georgica. #InsectHotel #BeeHotel #bees #cocoons #insects #pollinators #hymenoptera #osmia #haplodiploidy

It was cold yesterday so the mason bees just chilled in the nesting holes, watching me with boredom as I did yard work. Hitting 65 °F today so that should change. #InsectHotel #BeeHotel #bees #insects #pollinators

Just an example of an insect hotel you should never, ever buy. The jagged ends of the reeds can damage the wings of mason bees as they try to back out. Splinters might even trap them inside. Manufactured by Dobar (Gronau, Germany) and sold by Lidl. #InsectHotel #BeeHotel #bees #insects #pollinators #lidl

Huge compilation of tips for maintaining an insect hotel, by Elsa Youngsteadt and Meredith Favre. #InsectHotel #BeeHotel #bees #wasps #insects #pollinators #pollination https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/how-to-manage-a-successful-bee-hotel

Video of a female mason bee (Osmia sp.) backing out of a tunnel at my insect hotel. This is the observation wing (pulls out and has plexiglas cover) so I'd be delighted if she chose to nest there. #BeeHotel #InsectHotel #bees #insects #pollinators #osmia

In bee news, male Osmia are showing up at the insect hotel in my back yard (Swarthmore, PA, USA). The females never choose to use these tunnels, sadly, opting instead for the smaller, paper-lined cavities in the wood blocks. #InsectHotel #BeeHotel #MasonBees #bees #nature #pollinators #insects

The observation panel on my insect hotel has been cleared of last year's occupants (grass-carry wasps), sterilized, and reassembled for a new season. Need to get myself a neon VACANCY sign. #InsectHotel #BeeHotel #bees #wasps #insects #pollinators

Two cocoons of the Georgia mason bee (Osmia georgica) bejeweled with bright orange frass and leftover pollen grains, and separated by a layer of chewed leaves. Fresh from my insect hotel and likely a day or two away from emerging. Males will come out first and wait, very impatiently, for the females to arrive. #InsectHotel #BeeHotel #bees #hymenoptera #insects #pollen

A thread of how I sort through my insect hotels in advance of the season. #InsectHotel #BeeHotel #bees #wasps #hymenoptera #insects #pollinators 1/n

Just baking the insect hotel, as one does, to kill any dermestid beetles, book lice, and mites that are hiding in the cracks after the bee and wasp cocoons have been removed. #BeeHotel #InsectHotel #bees #wasps #hymenoptera #insects #pollinators #entomology

Le quartier des Lentillères n°9 - La Maison des Insectes.

#Squat #EcoDistrict #Ecology #Autogestion #SelfManagement #CollectiveManagement #GardenInspiration #SustainableLiving #DIYGarden #NatureLovers #BackyardEcology #BugHotel #PollinatorFriendly #WildlifeHabitat #Conservation #GardenDecor #EcoFriendly #InsectHotel #Photography #InstagramArchive

Update:

It's finished, the hotel is open for creepy crawlers.

Insect hotel at Mohonk Mountain House. Quite a nice selection of nesting tubes. #bees #wasps #insects #InsectHotel #BeeHotel #entomology #nature #pollinators #mohonk #hydrangea

This is a Bugs Villa, the best one I have seen so far

A male Trypoxylon collinum guarding a nesting tunnel while the female forages for spiders. One of several pairs at the insect hotel in my front yard. #wasps #insects #hymentoptera #entomology #nature #spiders #InsectHotel #MacroPhotography

Nice article about bee hotels being installed by Rutgers University and the Horticulture Society of New York. Shows a cleanable house design (without bamboo!) and acknowledges that many of the occupants are likely to be wasps and that's OK. #BeeHotel #InsectHotel #insects #bees #wasps #nyc #entomology #nature https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/17/nyregion/bee-hotels-new-york.html?unlocked_article_code=1.u00.QmQW.dYVmMB687jXZ&smid=url-share

Here's why insect hotels should be protected with wire screening. The downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) is going after invasive sculptured resin bees (Megachile sculpturalis) from Asia, so I'm not super concerned. I'd moved most of the other nesting blocks into my garage months ago. #bees #BeeHotel #InsectHotel #nature #insects #woodpecker #birds.