Bee hotel management: Mitigating interspecies competition

A conservation strategy recommended for supporting wild bee species is adding nesting sites to their habitat. Many wild bees' nest in above ground cavities which can be provided in solitary bee hotels. While much is known about the nesting needs of heavily managed cavity nesting solitary bee species, little is known about the majority of cavity nesting bee species. In the spring and summer of 2024, we examined the nesting and foraging preferences of 4 different wild cavity nesting solitary bees. We saw significant variation in nesting behavior as different species colonized a new, unused solitary bee hotel, in relation to the height, diameter, and site of used nesting cavities. In the spring and summer of 2025, we further investigated the impacts of aspect, microhabitat, and microclimate of an artificial nesting space. We observed variation of nesting of the observed wild population as it relates to both microclimate and microhabitat of our nesting space. These studies provide insight into how these species partition nesting space can inform the design of nesting resources to support pollinator communities.