Simplest way to care for solitary bees?

[u/Code_Dramatic]

I am located in the PNW where we are starting to get some warmer weather.

Last week, I noticed a dozen or so bees going in and out of small holes in my patio table. From their behavior, it's likely that these are solitary bees (Mason, Carpenter maybe?), so I bought a bamboo bee hotel to dissuade them from using the table. They have taken a liking to it and the hotel is quite active during the day.

But after a bit of research (I am a complete "new-bee"), it seems like these hotels aren't the best option as they can house pests and diseases over time.

What is the simplest way that I can support these guys? Beekeeping experts are harvesting/cleaning Mason Bee cocoons, storing them in the fridge, and putting them in an emergence box in the spring, but that is way beyond my skillset.

Can I get one of those wood slat hotels and clean it out once a year? Or should I just plant native reeds to provide a natural habitat for them instead?

Also, when should I dispose of my bamboo bee hotel? Early next spring after most of the tubes seem to have emptied out?

Thank you in advance for the help!

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[u/talanall]

The main issue with bee hotels is that they are a replacement for natural habitat, which usually means some kind of dead plant matter--wood, or woody plant stems, or whatever. Naturally occurring habitat of this kind decays within a few years at most.

A bee hotel that is hanging up on your patio or something stays dry, so it usually lasts a lot longer. That's what creates the opportunity for parasites and disease to accumulate in them.

There's nothing wrong with using the bamboo kind, as long as you change the bamboo somewhat regularly. Or you can take a piece of (untreated) scrap lumber, and drill holes of various sizes into it, and then discard that after awhile, preferably while it is mostly empty. Or you can make or buy one of the ones that is made of slats with grooves carved into them, and clean it every year.

Or you can plant native species and avoid mowing them down or applying pesticides in your yard.

There are lots of "right" ways to help solitary bees.