Just before Christmas 2019, on a fine warm morning, I was thrilled to find 3 species of native bee each creating a nest in the same insect hotel. These photos show a fire-tailed resin bee (larger black and orange bee), masked bee (yellow spot on black body) and a reed bee (slim black and orange bee) busily and harmoniously sharing the hotel with each other – as well as some ants and spiders. The closures (sealed bamboo ends) are nests that have been completed – some by a leaf cutter bee, and a mud wasp as well. This hotel is located in the outskirts of Sydney in a sheltered spot sitting on top of a stingless bee hive. The hotel has been in place for 4 years now – and gets busier every year. Previously I have posted a fire-tailed rein bee using this box – well the particular fire-tailed resin bee in these photos is most likely her daughter, returning to the same nest site to lay her own eggs. What is interesting is that I have read that solitary native bees to not use the same cavity again once it has been used – but these photos show that some actually do. The daughter fire-tailed resin bee is using the exact same cavity as her mother did (and possibly she emerged from herself). The reed bee is also checking out the same cavity that the fire tailed resin bee is using – but ends up choosing a much smaller one nearby.
