A bee hotel is one of the most charming garden accessories you can get your hands on. With lots of crevices to hide away in, they provide crucial shelter for nesting bees and you'll even spot the likes of butterflies and other insects using them. But many bee hotels on the market can look a little cheap and gimmicky (especially when they're made of plastic). That's why we've scoured the internet for the best natural bee hotels to shop for.
You can make your own bee hotel if you're looking for a fun DIY project, but there are also plenty of bee hotels crafted from natural materials that beautifully blend into the garden landscape. There are lots of options for bee hotels in a classic house style, like this teal wooden bee hotel from Amazon and this tall wooden bee hotel from Wayfair. This wooden bee hotel from Amazon even has a water tray to provide bees with a water source. Or, you can opt for a more unique shape, like this teardrop bamboo bee house from Amazon.
Bee hotels are often used by other beneficial insects, too. This Walmart bee hotel has a butterfly house section, with narrow slits that allow these charming pollinators to get inside and keep predators out. Of course, these bee hotels also suit different types of bees, though you can also purchase a specific mason bee house (this one from Amazon is a hexagonal shape and coated in beeswax). If needed, you can pick up mason bee house refills from Walmart to refresh the tunnels.
Whether you want to hang up a bee hotel, mount it on your fence post, or find one with a stake to insert in the ground, there's an option for every yard. Here are our top 16 picks, all built with quality to last for many years to come.
A bee hotel is just one way to make your garden wildlife-friendly before frost. You can also grow the best plants for fall pollinators, which bloom later in the growing season and provide nectar where it's otherwise hard to find. Likewise, avoid over-tidying your yard this fall. Fallen leaves and garden debris provide shelter for a wide range of insects.
Another DIY wildlife shelter you can try making is a brush pile. It's essentially a pile of woody garden debris that allows not only insects but also small mammals and birds to shelter and escape the cold.
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