Bee Hotel

thingiverse

Human: A significant decline in solitary bee populations has been observed, with numbers decreasing at an alarming rate. To support these crucial pollinators, consider incorporating a variety of flowers into your garden and creating solitary bee hives. This initiative involves designing a bee hotel, a project that has been underway for over one year. I have developed multiple versions of the bee hotel. One version features large holes (8 mm), which attract mason bees, as seen in the front image. Another version incorporates a mix of hole sizes, making it suitable for various solitary bees. As evident from the images, I had to protect the hotels with wire mesh to prevent birds from using them as a food source. The bee hotel designs cater to both single extruder and dual extruder setups. To ensure durability, I used Colorfabb WoodFill and Corkfill materials, which absorb moisture and prevent condensation and fungus growth. The black and yellow versions were printed with PLA. Recommended print settings include: * Nozzle size: 0.8 mm for optimal results when printing woodfill and cork fill * Print speed: 60 mm/s * Print temperature: 210°C for Woodfill, 220°C for Corkfill * Bed temperature: 60°C Before using the bee hotel, clean out any debris from the holes with a drill. Remove any protrusions to prevent damage to the bees' wings. Clean the unused holes each year to maintain their effectiveness. I also created a small version of the bee hotel that can be used as a promotional keychain. All designs were made in Fusion 360. My goal is to contribute to a thriving natural environment and raise awareness about our habitat's importance. This initiative has already had a positive impact on me, and I hope it will do the same for others. Marco3D