Some idiot torched hives with half a million bees in Texas

[LutherBlisset]

True.

BTW, the pic you used seems to be done right: holes are drilled perpendicular to the growth direction. If you buy or build one, take care this is the case. Otherwise, fibres from the wood may damage the insects wings.

One problem with nesting opportunities is that the inhabitants need a surrounding which can feed them. While mostly more common polylectic species (feeding on a variety of plants) are attracted, event those sometimes have trouble finding proper food in settlements. Oligolectic species (specialists) feeding only one a few or even one species of plant) are most definitely not finding what they need in most neighborhoods. Surprisingly, they also don’t fly that far in search of food, if I remember correctly.

All in all, only a systemic change of our environment will have a lasting impact. But even small things count. And a small collection of kitchen herbs is a great start. They also add to your personal culinary wellbeing, by the way.

[anon48584343]

Better Bee News:

Fairfax County firefighters skip the hoses to save endangered bees | WTOP

“Since 2006, bee colony collapse disorder has caused adult honeybees to simply disappear from hives, almost all at the same time.”

“Right now, with honeybees difficult to keep alive, and how important they are to flowers, the ecosystem — and everybody’s home garden — it’s important to try to help them out whenever we see them in this situation, and make sure they get into a new home,” Weand said.

[Gyrofrog]

and/or horse names. (Derby’s tomorrow which is why that occurred to me.)