“Insects, Worms, and other small animals that carry out vital life functions for life on earth have declined by 45 per cent on average for 35 years, threatening human health, water quality, and food supplies…”
-Steve Connor, “Vital invertebrates decline by 45 per cent, study finds,” independent.co.uk, July 2014
The decline of insects has been something I have noticed personally even before it was formally brought up to me for this project. I have wonderful memories chasing giant, colorful dragonflies in a field, and capturing fireflies at night with my friends. When I went camping with my friend and her family one summer, her dad buzzed a bumble bee song to attract one to land on his finger, allowing us to pet its furry little back. As I drive by the same field that was once filled with dragonflies, today I see emptiness. During summer nights there are less and less blinking lights in my backyard, and this past summer, I had seen a total of three bumble bees. I am definitely more aware of this issue after completing this project, and am terrified for the future if this problem is not stopped.
In my insect “motel” I used repurposed ash tree wood donated to our class. The invasion of the Emerald Ash Borer is causing many ash trees to become diseased and or die, destroying a large majority of our Wisconsin native trees. My pieces are meant to be attached to a longer pole or board and stuck into the ground. I chose Mason Bees to focus on attracting into my pieces because of how important they are for pollination. Mason bees prefer to nest in small, dry holes approximately 3/8 of an inch wide and 4-8” deep. My holes are about 4 inches deep.
If we continue to be ignorant of this huge issue our food supply will run out and many other issues will arise. To take action against the decline of insects you could; Plant bee friendly plants in your garden, buy local and organic, allow weeds such as dandelions to grow, stop using pesticides or chemicals on your yard, stop killing bees because of fear, and make your own insect house! If you are interested in making your own insect house here are a couple links that will show you how;
http://www.nwf.org/Garden-For-Wildlife/Young/Build-a-Bee-House.aspx
http://montanawildlifegardener.blogspot.com/2010/06/build-mason-bee-house-in-5-minutes.html
http://boingboing.net/2014/05/16/build-your-own-mason-bee-house.html
Maintenance:
Bore out holes in the summer, after the bees have hatched.
Since I did not use cardboard tubes in my models, keep an eye out for pollen mites.
Ensure proper mounting into the ground
I was asked to make an aesthetically pleasing piece that also is a house, breeding place, and resting place for my choice of insect or insects. In my process, I had gone through 4 to 5 models and ideas for what my motels would look like.
After coming to an issue with the depth of holes I was able to drill with our drill press, and the fear of being a wood hog, I finally decided on a design. My pieces are five sets of four blocks with identical holes drilled through them. Each block is a different length, but all have an inch depth and four inch width.
They are glued together in a way that shifts them into different positions to create interest. They are not mounted flush to each other to add a more organic feel to such a geometric object.I used a flame torch to finish exterior of the wood.
I feel honored to have worked on a project that helps something so important that could impact my children someday. I fear a world that they might see tiny robotic pollinators instead of fuzzy bumblebees. I hope that seeing my Mason bee house will educate and inspire others to help in this movement to save the bees and insect population. Thank you for your interest in this major issue!