Bee hotels for wild bees

Discover the bee hotels from Stalen Design and provide wild and solitary bees with a suitable nesting site in your garden. Our designer bee hotels combine functionality with a stylish look and are made from durable materials such as corten steel and oak.

Whether you want to buy a bee hotel to support biodiversity in your garden or are looking for a unique garden object: with a bee hotel from Stalen Design, you combine nature and Dutch design.

What is a bee hotel?

A bee hotel is a nesting aid for wild and solitary bees. It is also known as an insect hotel, bee house, bee block, insect house, or nesting aid for bees.

In the drilled openings, various species of solitary bees can build a nest and lay their eggs. A well-placed bee hotel thus provides a suitable nesting opportunity for bees that would otherwise use hollow stems or existing holes in wood.

Bee hotel made of corten steel and oak

The bee hotels from Stalen Design combine corten steel with oak. This creates a durable garden object with a natural look.

Outdoors, the corten steel gradually develops its characteristic rust-brown patina. This layer gives the material its warm color and protects the steel against further weather influences.

The oak bee block contains drilled nesting openings where solitary bees can find a suitable nesting site.

Corten steel bee hotel for the garden

A corten steel bee hotel fits well in both modern and natural gardens. The warm rust color of the steel combines beautifully with green planting, wood, stone, and other natural materials.

Thanks to the combination of steel and wood, the bee hotel is not only functional but also a decorative element in the garden.

For example, place it:

• In a flower-rich border
• Near a vegetable garden
• Among perennials and herbs
• By a wildflower meadow
• Against or near a green boundary
• In a sunny spot in the garden

Bee hotel for solitary and wild bees

Most bees that use a bee hotel are solitary bees. Unlike honeybees, these species do not live in large colonies.

Among others, various types of mason bees can use suitable nesting openings in a bee hotel.

Wild bees play an important role in the pollination of flowers, plants, fruit trees, and crops. By offering suitable nesting opportunities as well as sufficient flowers in the area, you make your garden more attractive to these useful pollinators.

Where do you place a bee hotel?

Placement has a significant influence on the chance that a bee hotel will be used.

Preferably choose a:

• Sunny spot
• Dry and sheltered position
• Sturdy location where the hotel does not move constantly
• Location with flowers and plants in the vicinity

Ideally, direct the nesting openings towards the south or southeast, so that the bee hotel gets sufficient sun throughout the day.

Bee hotel in a flower-rich garden

A bee hotel alone is not enough to attract wild bees to the garden. Food in the immediate vicinity is also important.

Flowering plants, herbs, and flowers provide nectar and pollen. By choosing different plants that bloom throughout the spring and summer, food becomes available for various bee species over a longer period.

This way, a bee hotel and a flower-rich garden can complement each other well.

Why choose a bee hotel made of corten steel?

Corten steel is particularly suitable for garden products because it develops a natural protective layer outdoors.

Advantages of a corten steel bee hotel include:

• Suitable for outdoor use
• Low maintenance
• Characteristic rust-brown appearance
• Strong and durable material
• Beautifully combined with oak
• Suitable for modern and natural gardens
• Timeless appearance

Bee hotel on a post or on the wall

Depending on the model, a bee hotel can be placed in the garden in different ways.

A bee hotel on a post can be placed freely among the plants and simultaneously serves as a striking garden object.

A bee hotel on a wall takes up little space and can, for example, be attached to a suitable exterior wall, fence, or other sheltered spot.

This allows you to create a suitable place for wild bees even in a smaller garden.

Designer bee hotel as a garden object

A bee hotel does not just have to be functional. Through material, shape, and finish, it can also become part of the garden's design.

The combination of corten steel and oak gives the Stalen Design bee hotels a modern and natural look.

As a result, they fit both among green planting and in a sleek garden with, for example, concrete, wood, and steel.

Designed and produced in the Netherlands

The bee hotels from Stalen Design are designed and produced in the Netherlands.

With every design, we seek a good balance between functionality, material use, and design. This creates a bee hotel that can provide a suitable nesting site and simultaneously be used as a designer object in the garden.

Bee hotel as a gift

A bee hotel is also an original gift for a garden lover, nature enthusiast, or someone who wants to create more biodiversity in their garden.

For example, it is suitable as a gift for:

• A birthday
• Housewarming
• Mother's Day or Father's Day
• A new garden
• A nature lover
• A garden enthusiast

Why choose bee hotels from Stalen Design?

• Designed and produced in the Netherlands
• Made of corten steel and oak
• Nesting aid for wild and solitary bees
• Various nesting openings in the wooden bee block
• Suitable for outdoor use
• Low maintenance
• Design and nature combined
• Various placement options
• Original gift for garden and nature enthusiasts

Buy a bee hotel from Stalen Design

Do you want to buy a bee hotel for your garden? Discover the bee hotels from Stalen Design.

From a compact bee hotel for the wall to a striking bee hotel on a post: our designs combine corten steel, oak, and Dutch design with a practical nesting place for wild bees.

View the collection and choose the bee hotel that best fits your garden.

Frequently asked questions about bee hotels

What is a bee hotel?

A bee hotel is an artificial nesting aid with openings in which various solitary bee species can nest.

Is a bee hotel the same as an insect hotel?

Not quite. A bee hotel focuses primarily on nesting opportunities for wild and solitary bees. An insect hotel can also contain materials intended for other insect species.

Which bees use a bee hotel?

Solitary wild bees, in particular, can use a bee hotel. Various types of mason bees, for example, like to nest in suitable hollow openings.

Where is the best place to put a bee hotel?

Place the bee hotel in a sunny, dry, and sheltered spot. An orientation towards the south or southeast is often suitable.

Should a bee hotel be near flowers?

Yes. In addition to nesting space, wild bees also need nectar and pollen. A flower-rich environment makes the location more attractive.

Can a bee hotel be placed on a post?

Yes. Within the Stalen Design collection, models are available that can be placed on a post. This allows you to position the bee hotel freely among the plants.

Can a bee hotel be attached to a wall?

Depending on the model, a bee hotel can also be attached to a suitable wall or other vertical surface.

Is corten steel suitable for a bee hotel?

Yes. Corten steel is suitable for outdoor use and develops a protective rust-brown patina. The steel forms the outer structure around the wooden nesting block.

Does a bee hotel need maintenance?

A bee hotel requires little maintenance. Leave occupied nesting openings alone as much as possible and only replace or maintain parts when necessary.

When do bees use a bee hotel?

Wild bees are mainly active in the spring and summer. When different species are active depends on the species and weather conditions.

Are wild bees at a bee hotel aggressive?

Solitary bees do not defend a large colony like honeybees can, and they are generally not aggressive towards humans.