bricked up tubes...

Do you already see some 'bricked up' tubes in your insect hotel? That means your hotel is inhabited! But how does such an insect hotel actually work?

Wild bees are busy laying eggs in the spring. They crawl into a tube of your insect hotel. This is where they lay their eggs. They lay several eggs in the tube, which is why you often see them flying back and forth.

The bees lay a 'bee sandwich' between each egg. That is a kind of ball of nectar and pollen. The larvae eat this when they hatch. The larvae remain in the hole for a while and develop into a pupa in a cocoon.

In the spring the bees crawl out of their cocoons. They feel that it is getting warmer and know that the flowers are about to bloom. They need it to get their food from. One by one they crawl out of the tube or hole and look for flowers to enjoy the nectar. Then they look for a partner to mate with. They then lay the new eggs in an insect hotel (or another cozy burrow). So the whole cycle starts all over again!