How to make a little bee house

Well Hi everybody.   Boy has it been cold.  Nothing like a good blast of winter to make me start dreaming of spring.  I'm anxious to plant my garden but I guess since the ground is all white it might be a little early.  But I was reading about bees and how the more the merrier when it comes to the garden.  So, to encourage the little buggers, (I say that fondly), I want to make a bee house.  I read about that too.  Amazing how much reading you can do when the ice outside prevents you from leaving home.  Anyway., bee houses encourage bachelor bees to come to your garden.  These are bees that don't belong to a hive.   I never knew there was such a thing. Live and learn.  So, let's make them a home where they will be happy, and they will pollinate your garden in exchange. 

Equipment and Supplies

• wood- 1 x 4 pine or cedar board
• bamboo or reeds
• wood glue, 
• hot glue gun with glue
• Proxxon mini table saw
• Proxxon OZI//E delta sander
• Proxxon mini chop saw.
• paint (optional
• small screws

First, we are going to make the house.   It's a simple pattern. Use the pattern below to cut your pieces.  I used the Proxxon mini table saw to do most of the cutting for the structure. The table saw always cuts straight and true.

  I assembled the carcass using wood glue and clamps, then I let it dry really good and then added screws for strength.

Note- the back and bottom are inside the sides.

Next, we will dd the roof and secure it well.  By making one roof side shorter by 1/2" there is no need to miter the roof angle.  It is called a butt joint.

Then we want to fill up the front with anything bees will be able to lodge in.  I used bamboo, because I had some.  Anything that will leave spaces a bee can get in should work.   I used the proxxon mini chop saw to cut my little tubes to length which was 3"   I needed a whole bunch of them (30-40) to fill up the house, so I made a little "stop" so I didn't have to measure each one. (see below), I used hot glue to secure them to the frame,

I couldn't resist decorating the top a little bit.

To mount the bee house, I added a thin wooden slat to the back which is long enough to nail to a fence post or tree.    

All done!   Come on spring and come on bees!

Thanks for visiting, come back soon for more!

Thanks Proxxon, I am loving your tools!  Carol W.