How to Attract Native Bees

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If you want to know how to attract native bees, start with nesting space rather than flowers alone. Most native bee species nest in the ground, and many others use hollow stems, wood cavities or drilled blocks. A yard that offers those places gives bees somewhere to nest.

This guide covers bare ground, stems, nesting blocks, placement, water and timing. It also lists what the sources do not say, because no page we opened gives a count of the bees a yard will attract.

Quick answer

Keep a few small patches of bare, sunny, well-drained ground, since about 70 percent of native bee species nest in the ground.
Trim perennial stems in their first winter and then leave them alone, because many native bees nest inside hollow or pithy stems.
Offer drilled wood blocks or stem bundles in a sheltered spot, with the entrance holes facing east or southeast.
Set a shallow water dish with pebbles nearby, and change the water each day.

What native bees need in a yard

Native bees need more than flowers. The Chico State pollinator activity sheet lists water, minerals and a place to rest, and it says pollinators need more than food to survive.

Texas Parks and Wildlife starts its advice with a survey. Owners are asked to check whether a property already has diverse patches of flowering herbaceous plants, or stands of flowering shrubs and trees. The same page suggests watching which plants bees visit at different times of day, since patches of good native flowers are worth protecting.

Flowers get most of the attention in garden plans, but nest sites are the part many yards lack. The Xerces Society fact sheet, which the Illinois Department of Natural Resources hosts, says that in many modern landscapes a desire for neatness has removed bare ground, dead trees and rough grass corners. Each of those is a nesting site for bees.

A simple checklist follows from this. Give the bees ground to dig in, stems and wood to nest in, water to drink, and a few flowers nearby to visit.

Bare ground for ground-nesting bees

Ground nesting is the most common pattern. The Xerces fact sheet says about 70 percent of native bee species nest in the ground, and that they need access to the soil surface to dig a nest. Each female digs her own tunnel and brood cells, then stocks the cells with nectar and pollen.

The fact sheet’s method is direct. Simply clear the vegetation from small patches of level or sloping ground, then gently compact the soil surface. The patches can be a few inches to a few feet across. They should drain well and sit in an open, sunny place, and a south-facing slope can be a good location.

The same sheet says different ground conditions draw different bee species, so it advises making patches in different areas to maximize nesting opportunities.

Texas Parks and Wildlife describes ground nests in similar terms. Well-drained, sparsely vegetated patches of bare ground are preferred by many ground-nesting bees. The Texas page adds that a ground nest entrance can look like a small ant mound, with a little pile of soil around the hole, or like a cluster of holes. The openings can range from 1/8 to 1/2 inch across, depending on the species.

For a larger site, the Xerces sheet describes a sand pit. In a sunny, well-drained spot, dig a pit about 2 feet deep and fill it with a mix of pale, fine-grained sand and loam. If the soil drains poorly, a pile of the same mix or a raised bed can help. If space is tight, planter boxes can hold the mix instead.

Bumble bees need something different. The Texas page says they do not dig their own nests. They take over abandoned rodent burrows or tussocks of grass in areas of thick herbaceous vegetation. The Xerces sheet recommends keeping patches of rough grass where you can. Where you cannot, it suggests a simple wooden box, about 7 inches on each side, made from preservative-free lumber.

Hollow stems, snags and cleanup timing

Garden cleanup can destroy the nests of stem-nesting bees. The North Carolina State Extension article on this topic says many native bees nest inside hollow or pithy dead stems, and that cleanup can wipe out those nests.

The NC State team split nearly 3,000 stems from 20 gardens in 10 counties over two years. They found that stems are not occupied in their first winter. The timing advice follows from that result. Trim stems in their first winter, after the first frost but before the last frost, and then leave them alone.

The article also says that trimming, rather than cutting stems all the way to the ground, creates habitat for stem-nesting bees. Once a stem is trimmed, bees will use it until it breaks down. The study covers one region, so the best cutting window may differ where you live, and local extension guidance is the best check.

Oregon State University Extension makes a related point for shrubs and flowers with pithy stems, such as raspberries, elderberries, hydrangea, coneflowers, sunflowers and asters. In the fall and winter, leave an extra 8 to 10 inches of stem on each one. The stem hardens over the cold months and gives native bees options for nesting the following season.

Dead wood is a nesting site as well. Texas Parks and Wildlife lists brush piles, downed wood and standing dead trees as possible natural nesting sites for tunnel-nesting bees and bumble bees. The Xerces sheet says to keep snags where you can and to make nesting blocks where you cannot.

For fall bed work, see our guide to preparing raised beds for winter, and leave the stems in those beds standing where you can.

Drilled blocks and stem bundles

Drilled wood blocks are the most common home-made nest. The Xerces sheet says to drill nesting holes between 3/32 and 3/8 inch across, spaced about 3/4 inch apart, into the side of a block of preservative-free lumber. Each hole should be closed at one end and smooth on the inside.

Depth depends on the hole. The sheet says holes under 1/4 inch should be 3 to 4 inches deep, and holes 1/4 inch or wider should be 5 to 6 inches deep. It adds that the height of the block is less important, and that 8 inches or more is a good size.

The Nebraska Extension guide, NebGuide G2256, gives a different block size. It says blocks should be up to 6 inches long, with tunnels of several diameters drilled into them, from 1/16 inch to 5/8 inch. It adds that the larger the diameter, the deeper the tunnel needs to be drilled, and that no tunnel should break through the back of the block.

The two sources disagree on block length. The Nebraska guide caps blocks near 6 inches, while the Xerces sheet says 8 inches or more is good. This guide does not choose one size for you, since the sources do not explain the difference.

Materials matter. The Nebraska guide says not to use pressure-treated wood, because the chemicals infused into it may harm nesting bees. It adds that cedar can be used, but it should be seasoned, since fresh cedar can repel some bees.

Stem bundles are the other common nest. The Xerces sheet suggests cutting hollow stems, such as teasel, bamboo or reeds, into lengths of 6 to 8 inches. Cut close to a node so each piece has one closed end. Tie 15 to 20 pieces into a bundle with the closed ends together. Paper tubes can work too, as long as they stay dry.

The Nebraska guide adds that bamboo and pithy reed grasses can serve as nesting tubes. Holes of different widths attract different kinds of solitary bees, so a mix of tube sizes gives more choice.

Placement and setup

Put nests where they are sheltered from the worst of the weather. The Xerces sheet says the entrance holes should face east or southeast, so the nest gets morning sun. Nests can be set at any height, though three to six feet is convenient. Put them on a building, a fence, a stake or a tree, and fix them firmly so they do not shake in the wind.

The Nebraska guide describes a bee hotel as a frame open at the front, closed at the back and roofed, so rain does not soak the blocks. It says to install the hotel in spring, before mid-April, so the first generation of bees can find it as it emerges. For the frame itself, it gives a rough guideline of at least 6 inches deep and 10 inches wide, and says there are no specific standards, so you can experiment.

Water and flowers nearby

Native bees need water for more than drinking. The Chico State activity sheet says they drink it, mix it into mud for solitary nests in the ground, and use it to cool down in hot weather.

The Beaufort County article also says that honey bees use water to help regulate hive temperature and to thin honey when feeding larvae. It adds that adding water nearby will double the impact of pollinator support in a garden that already grows plants such as bee balm, echinacea, black-eyed Susans or zinnias.

For larger water features, see our bird bath roundup. A shallow dish with pebbles is enough for bees, and it does not need a pond or a stream.

Set up a bee bath

A bee bath is a shallow dish with stones in it, and the pages agree on the basic parts. RSPCA’s guide starts with the dish: “Find a shallow dish (like a plant saucer) and fill it with a handful of clean pebbles, small rocks, or marbles.” Chico State uses the same kind of stones, and says to fill the dish with water “until only the tops of the rocks or marbles are exposed.”

The water level is worded differently. Beaufort County says to fill the container with “just enough water to touch the tops of the pebbles”. RSPCA says to “Pour a shallow layer of water over the rocks, making sure the tops of the pebbles stay dry.” Chico State explains why the stones matter: “These give the bees a place to rest and climb out of the bee bath if they fall into the water.”

The sun advice differs. Chico State says to place the bath “somewhere protected and out of direct sunlight”. Beaufort County says to “Place the bath near flowers or in a sunny location with light shade in the afternoon.” RSPCA says to “Find a sunny spot right next to some blooming flowers.” Two of the three pages choose a sunny spot near flowers, while Chico State keeps the bath out of direct sunlight, so pick the spot that suits your yard.

Keep the water clean. RSPCA says that “Rainwater is best, or tap water left out for a day”, and it asks you to make “checking the water level a daily routine”. Chico State says to “Change the water each day to keep your bee bath clean.” Beaufort County advises against glazed ceramic dishes, which can become “slippery and dangerous for small creatures”, so skip them.

A seasonal schedule

Spring: install bee hotels or nesting blocks before mid-April, according to the Nebraska guide, and clear small bare patches.
Summer: keep the water dish filled only to the pebble tops, and change the water each day, following the Chico State and Beaufort County advice.
Fall and winter: trim perennial stems in their first winter and leave them standing, as the North Carolina study recommends.

Mistakes to avoid

Cutting every stem to the ground in fall removes the hollow stems that bees use for nests, which the NC State article warns against.
Building blocks or frames from pressure-treated wood, which the Nebraska guide says may harm nesting bees.
Filling a water dish until the water covers the pebbles, which removes the perches the stones provide.

How we chose

This guide uses eight sources. Seven were fetched with curl on 2026-10-22, and the RSPCA page was fetched on 2026-10-23. Each one returned an HTTP 200 response. Each one comes from a university or extension service, a state agency, a conservation organization or an animal welfare charity. Retail listings and blog posts were left out, and so were pages that returned an error.

The rule for each claim is the same. A claim must match a sentence on a page that we opened, or it must be a plain summary of that sentence. Where two sources disagree, the post says so instead of picking one figure. We did not rank or name any product.

The sources cover different regions: North Carolina, Texas, Oregon and Nebraska, plus a national conservation fact sheet hosted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and a UK charity page on bee drinking stations. The cleanup timing comes from one region, so local extension guidance should be checked before you act on those dates.

What we could not verify

Some questions are not settled by any page we opened. The list below is short on purpose, and it does not guess at the missing answers.

What the sources do not say

How many native bees a yard will attract, or which species will come. None of the eight pages gives a count.
How well a given nest works in a given climate. The stem timing study covers North Carolina over two years, and the Nebraska guide says there are no specific standards for a bee hotel frame.
Whether a block should be 6 inches or 8 inches long. The Nebraska guide and the Xerces sheet disagree, and neither page explains the difference.
Local rules on putting nests or water on public land. None of the pages covers that question.
How many bees use a bee bath, or whether a bath changes local bee numbers. None of the water pages gives a count.

Two Xerces Society web pages returned errors when fetched, so they are not used in this guide.

Frequently asked questions

Will native bees sting me?

Rarely. The Nebraska guide describes solitary bees as rarely defensive, and says a solitary bee stings only if mishandled or entangled in clothing. This guide is about native bees, not honey bees.

Does a yard need to be cleared entirely for ground-nesting bees?

No. The Xerces fact sheet describes small patches, a few inches to a few feet across, on level or sloping ground that drains well and gets sun. A few patches are enough. You do not need to clear the whole lot.

When should perennial stems be cut back?

The NC State article says to trim stems in their first winter, after the first frost but before the last frost, and then leave them alone. The study behind that advice covers North Carolina, so check local extension guidance if you live elsewhere.

Can a bee hotel replace ground nesting space?

Probably not. The Xerces fact sheet says most native bee species nest in the ground, so a hotel adds nesting space rather than replacing ground patches. Both kinds of site can sit in the same yard.

How often should nesting materials be replaced?

Each year. The Nebraska guide says the nesting materials need to be replaced yearly, which is one reason it advises against gluing them in place.

Sources

https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/nongame/native-pollinators/identify-protect.phtml (opened 2026-10-22)
https://pollinators.ces.ncsu.edu/2025/02/winter-is-a-great-time-to-tidy-up-perennial-stems-for-pollinator-habitat/ (opened 2026-10-22)
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/es/catalog/em-9507-leave-behind-some-stems-bee-habitat (opened 2026-10-22)
https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/g2256/pdf/view/g2256-2021.pdf (opened 2026-10-22)
https://dnr.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/dnr/education/documents/nestsnativebeessheet.pdf (opened 2026-10-22)
https://www.csuchico.edu/gateway/_assets/documents/pollinator-feeders.pdf (opened 2026-10-22)
https://beaufort.ces.ncsu.edu/2025/07/create-a-summer-water-station-for-birds-and-bees (opened 2026-10-22)
https://education.rspca.org.uk/library/-/content/bee-drinking-stations (opened 2026-10-23)