The honey bee dormitories are small houses designed to accommodate wild bees. There are about a thousand wild bees in France, whose life has nothing to do with that of domestic bees, which are found in hives.
The wild bee is a formidable pollinator, and it does not sting. “The species have very different nesting patterns “, explains Pauline Jung, project manager at Les Dorloteurs d’aveilles.
“70% of wild bees nest in the earth. Others make their nests in hollow stems, reeds, bamboo and these are the species that interest us in Bee Pampering.”
“Some wild bees nest in empty snail shells or poppy petals.”
Pauline Jung, The Bee Pamperingto franceinfo
A baby shower is a great Christmas gift idea, whether you live in the country or in the city, and even if you only have a window sill. The small houses are all equipped with drawers or transparent tubes which allow the life of the residents to be observed.
“There is a real desire for education and awareness. Our potters are therefore equipped with transparent galleries which allow the bee to be observed while it is making its nest. We can see the egg which turns into a larva, which nourishes the stock of pollen left by the mother bee, then we witness the construction of the cocoon.
“We are convinced that it is by seeing, by touching nature, all its fragility, that everyone can realize the importance of these small gestures and the need to get involved in the protection of these bees. “
Bee pamperingto franceinfo
Pampers can be individuals or companies. The annual subscription allows you to receive a Dorlotoir and its accessories, cocoons of wild bees, a monthly newsletter, personalized support in bee monitoring. In the fall, each subscriber collects the cocoons, sends them to the Bee Pamperers who shelter them for the winter, and resends them in the spring.
Each cocoon is traced by the Pamperers: “We are quite convinced that a Marseille bee develops specificities linked to the climate linked to its plant environment, just like a Lille bee, develops certain affinities for plants in the north of France and for such a particular climate.”
Since the launch of the initiative in 2020, nearly 4,000 pampers have been watching over wild bees. If you are interested in the project, go to lesdorloteurs.fr