@memays My son-in-law built several bee houses for me; not as fancy as yours, Meredith, but they work! Hang it on a south-facing wall or fence. Native bees are not "fuzzy" like honey bees so need the morning sun to warm up before they fly. Also make sure there are no plants obstructing the openings. I'll try to post a photo later today showing that some of the bamboo tubes are now sealed off, meaning there's a baby bee larva inside.
The hardware cloth is to prevent squirrels from stealing the bamboo for their nests.
I'm thrilled to see the bee boxes gaining popularity. Our bees need all the help they can get! The little native, or solitary, bees do most of the pollinating. And, because they're not defending a 'hive', they aren't aggressive.
