A pollinator hotel is a simple way to help native bees and wasps by giving them a safe place to nest and spend the winter. These beneficial insects are vital for pollinating crops and wild plants, yet their numbers are declining due to habitat loss and pesticide use.

You can build a pollinator hotel using natural materials like bamboo, cardboard tubes, or small pieces of untreated wood. Arrange them in a frame—about 5½ inches wide and 9 inches long—to create small nesting holes, then place the hotel in a sunny, sheltered spot.

You can also support pollinators by planting a variety of native flowers, implementing diverse landscape using mixed trees, shrubs, perennials and wildflowers to offer different food and nesting options, limiting pesticide use, and applying any treatments in late afternoon or evening when pollinators are less active. Avoid spraying on windy days and choose liquid products over dust or powder forms.

Small actions like this help create a welcoming space for pollinators to ensure their important work continues in our gardens and ecosystems.

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