On a subzero morning, I clip into skis and head out across my meadow, gliding between desiccated husks of sundial lupine ...

Small piles of sawdust beneath the underside of wood boards are the calling cards of carpenter bees and will help you pinpoint the holes. 2. Inspect the structure thoroughly, because one nesting ...

Piles of sawdust or frass beneath the holes indicate active tunneling. Sightings of large bees hovering around wooden structures, especially in spring and early summer, suggest nesting activity.

The modular wall panels of that structure—which resembles an oversized an­tique room divider—were designed to house small, cavi­ty-nesting birds and hole-dwelling bees. The installation had a brief ...

If kids notice holes sealed with mud or other debris, that means a bee has checked in! Be careful not to disturb the nesting bees, but keep observing it—young bees will emerge the following spring.

Solitary or semi-social bees; each female starts a nest in many cases, but there are exceptions. Nest in the ground. Holes are often excavated in compacted soil with little plant cover, sometimes in ...