Ever seen a leafcutter bee or carpenter bee heading toward their human-crafted nests, also called bee condos, bee hotels, bee beds, bee houses or bee abodes?
When you visit the UC Davis Bee Haven on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis, you may see them.
The Haven, a half-acre pollinator garden installed by the UC Davis Department of Entomology in the fall of 2009, now includes two bee condos--an older and smaller one with drilled wood blocks; and a newly installed one (with dozens of different-sized holes), a gift from Ambassador Girl Scout Sophie Webb of Davis. This was part of her Girl Scout Gold Award (See video).
"Sophie's project, Beds for Bees, was born from a simple but powerful observation," the text accompanying her YouTube video relates. "While working as a counsellor at an outdoor education camp, she noticed that children consistently reacted to bees with fear, swatting at them or trying to kill them. When she asked why, most kids had no idea what bees actually do. Even those who mentioned pollination didn't understand what it meant or why it matters. That gap in awareness inspired Sophie to take action."
"Beds for Bees is her Girl Scout Gold Award project, combining two goals: building bee habitats by creating safe nesting spaces for native bees in her community, and educating children about pollination, ecosystems, and how they can help. Her vision is simple but meaningful: replace fear with understanding, and help raise a generation that protects bees rather than fears them. You can explore her project, including how to make your own bee box, at https://sites.google.com/view/beds-for-bees."
The UC Davis Bee Haven, located next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, west of the central campus is open from dawn to dusk. Admission is free.
The Haven thrives with more than 200 native plants. Honey bees, native bees, syrphid flies, butterflies and other pollinators forage in the garden. Art abounds, including a six-foot-long ceramic-mosaic sculpture of a worker bee by Donna Billick of Davis.
Bee scientist Elina Niño, professor of Extension, apiculture, and a member of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty, is the director of The Haven. She is the founder and co-director of the Davis-based California Master Beekeeper Program. Samantha "Sam" Murray serves as the education and garden coordinator.
For more information on The Haven, contact the UC Davis Bee Haven at beehaven@ucdavis.edu.