The Flow Pollinator House is designed to house native solitary bees and to help create pollinator corridors between our wild spaces for habitats affected by land clearing and urbanisation. It's incredible to see so many people keen to support native pollinators. Bees are tiny environmental champions! They are responsible for the pollination of 30 percent of the world's crops and up to 90 percent of our wild plants. There are over 19,000 different species of bees worldwide, the majority of which are solitary nesters and, like honeybees, their numbers are on the decline. We decided to take a leaf out of their book and created this cozy home to raise awareness for the protection of these incredible creatures. 100% of profits are donated to conservation Our gardens are important for pollinator habitat, however, pollinators also need large areas of habitat to flourish – this is why 100% of profits from this product are donated to support pollinator advocacy, protection and education. Read more about how Flow Pollinator House sales have supported grassroots pollinator projects. Created from repurposed Flow Hive timber Here at Flow, we try to minimise waste wherever possible, so these beautiful Western Red Cedar Pollinator Houses have been created using salvaged Flow Hive 2 timber offcuts and sustainably sourced bamboo. This means each house is unique, you may even find the original Flow Hive handle or brand on yours. By reducing waste, we lessen our impact on the environment, which is also good news for pollinators. The perfect gift for garden enthusiasts or passionate pollinator protectors What’s Included: Pollinator house (flat packed) Bamboo inserts Wooden rods with drilled tunnels Eco ceramic coated screws Assembly tool Assembly Guide / Welcome letter Things to note: Shipped flat-packed for easy assembly. Have some fun with the myriad of differently sized bamboo inserts that can be used to create your own unique composition. Does not include bees. Does not include our patented Flow Frame technology. This hive is exclusively for the habitat of native solitary nesting bees, not for harvesting honey. Want more reading on pollinators? Click on a heading below to read more: What is a Pollinator House? The Flow Pollinator House is a carefully designed hive which provides space for and encourages differing pollinator species to take up residence in your garden. European honey bees live in colonies, however, many people don’t realise that the majority of all bee species worldwide are actually solitary nesters. These (often overlooked) garden allies, require and seek out a cozy home to nest in. Different types of pollinators require different types of homes. Cavity-nesting bees use hollow plant stems or holes in wood for laying their eggs. These solitary bees do not have queens or workers, nor do they store any honey in their tiny nests. In addition to nesting, some species like to hibernate over winter and are on the lookout for sheltered spaces with plant matter as insulation. Our Flow Pollinator House aims to replicate these ideal nesting conditions for the dual purpose of supporting these incredible insects whilst your garden reaps the rewards of their residence. Not all species nest in a pollinator house like this. There are plenty of other ways you can help support solitary nesters, such as making holes in mud for the blue-banded bee, or drilling holes in wood. You can go to town creating pollinator zones in your garden. You can find some great tips for creating your own pollinator house here. Where to Locate Your Pollinator House To create an attractive home for solitary nesters, it’s a good idea to put some consideration into where you will locate your pollinator house. Finding an area which is bathed in gentle sunlight (which the solitary bees love) and is protected from prevailing winds, tall weeds and other animals is ideal. Optimally the house should be facing between the north and east, in a position which doesn’t get too hot, and is 1 metre off the ground but no higher than 2 metres. You may also find it is useful to add your own unique home renovations such as dried leaves, grass or crumpled cardboard to your Flow Pollinator House to further diversify its appeal to different species. Selecting a position which is already attracting insects, either a garden bed with flowers, a pond or an area with some trees will help to encourage vacancies in your pollinator house to fill up quickly. Don’t forget to provide lots of access to plenty of forage and water for your pollinators. This Product is Helping Pollinators Two-Fold At Flow, we believe creating habitat for pollinators is one of the most important things we can do in our backyard. The more urban pollinator backyards we create, the more we expand wildlife corridors that allow bees and other pollinators to move across wild ecosystems. Not only is this product carefully designed to assist in creating an appealing home for solitary-nesting bees, Flow is proud to be donating 100% of profits from the sale of these houses to habitat restoration and protection. Pollinators need large areas of habitat to flourish – the more we can do to protect and conserve native habitats – the more space these tiny environmental champions will have to do their important work. Sustainable Use of Premium Timber Our Flow Pollinator House was developed out of a desire to find a way to repurpose our Flow Hive offcuts and unused wooden panels, whilst at the same time creating a habitat for these important little pollinators. Crafted from sustainably sourced Western Red Cedar, the Pollinator House has been manufactured using precision laser cutting from salvaging timber panels and offcuts in our Flow Hive 2s. Don't be surprised if you find a handle or Flow logo on the timber panels—we love the uniqueness this adds to each individual house. Bamboo inserts have been sustainably sourced, making for deluxe pollinator suites. Please note: product studio images shown on this page are from the 2017 Pollinator house. The 2019 Pollinator House has some minor differences, including 2 panels which combine to make the back and bottom sides of the house. All images are for illustrative purposes, actual product may vary slightly. The Pollinator House is made from salvaged timber hive panels which were created from naturally grown resources, this means each house will be unique. Please see our FAQ for more information on our natural timber characteristics. Caring For Your Pollinator House Apply a coat or two of paint or outdoor timber sealant to the roof to help your Pollinator House to stay dry. It is important to note, that like all hives, your pollinator house will require maintenance to ensure that it is safe and habitable for your solitary nesting visitors. Just as beekeeping practices vary depending on location, so too will the maintenance required for your Flow Pollinator House be dependant on local conditions. The bamboo inserts may need to be monitored for pests and to reduce the risk of spreading diseases. It can also be good practice to replace these tubes on occasion to limit the buildup of pathogens and fungus. Read more here. Safety Solitary bees are generally harmless and non-aggressive. Some insects, however, do have a nasty sting so it’s best to exercise caution when handling your pollinator house. Here is a link to some useful safety information. Watch the assembly video Tips For Bee-Friendly Garden There is so much we can do to support pollinators! Here are some great tips for creating a bee-friendly garden mindfully: Avoid pesticides. Companion planting is the way to go if you want to control pests. Pesticides are one of the reasons bee populations are in decline. If you have room, plant flowering plants in bountiful clumps so bees don’t have to search far for forage and can work more efficiently. Plant several species to ensure you have forage for every season. Maintain multiple water sources around your garden. Spread the word among your neighbours, family and friends, the more people you can encourage to look after your neighbourhood the greater your impact will be collectively. Check out our Bee-Friendly Gardening fact sheet for more information about gardening mindfully for pollinators. Want to Know More About Flow The Flow invention – often referred to as the “Beekeeper’s Dream”, was created out of a desire to make harvesting honey easier for the beekeeper and to lessen its impact on the bees. “I really didn’t like squashing bees or disturbing the hive when harvesting, so I thought ‘there has to be a better way”. (Cedar Anderson). For those that don’t know, harvesting honey used to be pretty labour intensive. After a decade of tinkering, our patented Flow Frame technology is the most significant advancement in beekeeping since 1852. It is now possible to simply turn the Flow Key and watch as pure, untouched, unprocessed fresh honey flow right out of the hive and into your jar.