Porcelain Bee Nurseries

Bee Cups Bee Nurseries are different than commercial bee houses! They are handmade from porcelain so they are sturdy enough to be placed individually or in small groups along fence rails, window sills, or in trees. This makes it less likely that predators or disease wipes out the entire population. The porcelain can also be washed and sterilized for the next season. 

Native Bees build their nests in tubes. The female bee will find a suitable home and lay one egg, provide a bit of food, then seal the chamber with mud. She will continue creating egg chambers for the entire length of the tube. The eggs hatch in the reverse order they are laid, meaning that the eggs closest to the opening hatch first. This grants extra gestation time for the larva at the end of the tube, allowing female bees to develop. If the tubes are too short only male bees will be born. Bee Cups bee homes are 6.5” long to support both male and female bee populations. 

Native bee houses have become popular recently but they are usually made of cardboard or bamboo. Clusters of multiple tubes in one location makes it easy for predators and parasites, such as wasps, to feed on the bee larva. And, as with any densely populated area, disease can spread quickly. Our Bee Nurseries can be spaced out and sterilized.

To clean: Wait for your bees to hatch. Give it a couple of weeks after you notice the mud seal is broken at the opening. Once the tube is no longer in use, soak the tube in warm water to loosen the dirt. Use a straw brush to scrub the inside of the tube. Place the bee home  in your oven at 250 degrees for 30 minutes to sterilize. 

Bee Cups Bee Nurseries are handmade from porcelain. The outside of the bee home is decorated with flecks of crushed Bee Cups. They are sturdy and attractive. 

Bee Cups

Bee Cups watering stations collect a teaspoon of water for thirsty bees and butterflies. Each one is handmade from porcelain and has an ultraviolet ceramic glaze that pollinators love. Bees, birds and butterflies see the ultraviolet colors all the time, but humans need a blacklight to make them visible. The shape of the porcelain watering stations encourage evaporation and prevent mosquitoes. In most climates the water evaporates by the end of the day.

Shipping not available to selected states: AK, HI, PR