Bee Observatory

This instruction is for a bee observatory where you can observe the life of some of the bees around your garden and help them find a good place to lay their eggs so they can hatch and become new bees.

This observatory attracts primary Mason bees (Osmia)

I started this project when i stumbled upon this Danish website.

https://shop.planbi.dk/collections/forside/product...

We had just made a big outdoor shelter in our local community and hat lots of small cut-offs of Larch wood laying around.

So i thought this might be a good way to use the scrap wood, help the nature, and make some awareness about bees for my kids and in the community by hanging the observatorys up around the in the neighbourhood.

You'll need some scraps of wood. .In my case i used Larch.

The pieces i used was for

Back panel: H: 200mm W: 250mm D: 26mm

Top (roof) : H: 80mm W: 300mm D: 2,6mm

Door (front panel): H: 15,5mm W: 250mm D: 2,6mm

A piece of plexiglass or polycarbonate H: 15,5mm W: 250mm

A hinge

Some small screws

A magnet lock for the door

A drilling machine

A drill

Bits for the screws or a screwdriver

A step drill bit

A countersink bit

A hand router or a wood chisel

I have made the back panel of a piece of lache

H: 200mm W: 250mm D: 26mm

The top of the back panel i have cut of whit an 20 degree offset, to make a roof that covers the door and panel from the worst rain and sun.

I have routed 5 grooves in the panel where the bees can lay their eggs. If you don't have access to a router, a wood chisel is just as good, but takes longer.

The grooves is 6mm deep and as long as they can be, in my case about 240mm long. ( You can make your grooves deeper or wider, this will attract different kind of bees.)

Then i cut a piece of plexiglass to size to fit over the grooves. Mine is the same size as the door

H: 15,5mm W: 250mm D: 2,6mm

I drilled out 6 holes through the glass into the back panel with a 2,5 mm drill. I used a countersink bit, so that the screw heads align with the surface of the glass.

Then i drilled a 7th hole for the magnetic lock to fit the metal ring, i used a step drill bit to make a 16mm hole through the plexiglass and mounted the metal disc for the magnetic lock.

The door i cut out to be H: 15,5mm W: 250mm D: 2,6mm

I made a hole (not all the way through) on the inside of the door to fit the magnet aligned with the metal disc on the back panel.

I then screwed a hinge in the left side of the door and back panel while aligned. (it might work better with a hinge that covers the whole height of the door.)

As you've might have noticed, my front panel and back panel do not align as the wood curves, but it works. :)

For the top i used a piece H: 80mm W: 300mm D: 2,6mm

Again i cut the back side of with a 20 degree angel, so that i runs smooth to back panel an covers the front from the sun an rain.

I mounted the top to the back panel with 2 screws from the top.

Bees are woken up by the sun, so you have to place the opening pointing to the East, South East or South.

Place it in 1,5 - 2 meters height sheltered from direct wind.

I made a couple for the local community, where i routed different text and signs on the door.

Enjoy.

NOTE: This is my first Instructables please give me your feedback. :)