Services — London
Purpose-built nesting structures for cavity-nesting and ground-nesting solitary bees — designed and sited to maximise occupancy and species diversity on London buildings.
Most commercial buildings have no dedicated nesting habitat for wild bees. Solitary bees don't live in hives — each female needs to find a suitable tube, hollow stem, or patch of bare soil to lay her eggs. Without that, even a well-planted rooftop will only attract visiting foragers, not resident nesting bees.
Urban Bees designs and installs nesting structures for cavity-nesting bee species, which need hollow tubes of the right diameter, and ground-nesting species, which need patches of bare soil or a sand mound or bank in a south-facing spot. Together, these two approaches can dramatically increase the diversity of bee species using a site.
We build our own bee hotels and bee observation boxes, assess each site for the best placement, ideally install in spring and return every autumn for a health check and to remove for overwintering and cleaning — because a neglected bee hotel quickly stops working. We reinstall the cleaned nesting structures the following spring before the next generation of bees emerge. At several of our sites, hotels reach full occupancy within a season of installation.
We take a whole-site approach to nesting habitat, combining above-ground and ground-level provision to support the widest range of species.
Specially designed structures containing hollow tubes of 6–8mm diameter, sized and positioned to attract Red mason bees, Blue mason bees, Orange-vented mason bees and leafcutter bees — the main cavity-nesting species in London.
Nesting boxes with a removable window panel that allow people to watch bees building and sealing their cells and provisioning them with pollen, and to observe their life cycle from egg to larvae to cocoon. Popular for staff engagement and particularly effective when combinedal with a bee safari.
Sand mounds and bare soil areas for the many solitary bee species that nest in the ground rather than in tubes — a feature most rooftop schemes overlook entirely, but one that can significantly increase species diversity.
We design and build bespoke nesting structures suited to the site.
Orientation, height, proximity to forage, and shelter from prevailing weather all affect occupancy. We assess each site and position structures accordingly — not all walls and posts are equal.
Each autumn, we remove bee hotels and bee boxes, inspect cocoons for parasites, replace worn sections, and overwinter. Each spring, we reinstall the cleaned and repaired hotels and boxes with new tubes in preparation for the new generation of adult bees to emerge from the cocoons. Without this intervention, occupancy rates decline over time.
One of our most popular installations: a specially built nesting box fitted with removable transparent panels that reveal the hidden life of Red mason bees. From late spring, building occupiers can watch the female collecting pollen, laying eggs, and sealing each cell with mud — then the following spring, adults chew their way out. It is one of the most compelling pieces of nature on any London building, and requires no specialist knowledge to understand and enjoy. Where we have installed observation boxes at PwC, Weil, Lush, and Adam & Eve, they have been a regular focus for staff engagement and school visits.
Most bee hotels are bought off a shelf, installed once, and never checked again. The majority go partially or completely unused because they are the wrong design, in the wrong position, or facing the wrong direction. We do it differently.
Species-matched design. We choose tube diameters, nesting materials, and structure types based on which bee species are present, or expected on your site.
Correct siting. Cavity-nesting bees need south or south-east facing structures at the right height, at least 1m off the ground. Ground-nesting bees need south-facing bare soil or sand in a sunny position. We assess your site and install accordingly.
Annual maintenance. Bee hotels can accumulate parasites and mould over time. We check and remove structures every autumn to clean and overwinter — replacing materials where needed — so they remain healthy and attractive to bees year after year. Each spring we reinstall them in preparation for the coming season.
Occupancy monitoring. Each survey visit records which structures are being used, by which species, and at what stage in the nesting cycle. This data feeds into your monitoring reports.
Integrated with planting. Nesting habitat only works if foraging habitat is close by from early spring. We design nesting structures as part of a complete habitat approach — always in conjunction with our planting recommendations.
We visit your building to assess the outdoor space — walls, terraces, rooftops, courtyards — for siting opportunities, existing forage, aspect, and likely species. We advise on what nesting provision is realistic and what would have the most impact.
We recommend the right combination of cavity-nesting and ground-nesting structures for your site, specifying dimensions, materials, and positions. Where standard products are unsuitable, we design custom structures.
We install and mount all structures using fixings appropriate to the surface. Hotels are positioned at the right height and orientation — typically south-facing, 1.5–2m off the ground, close to flowering plants.
In autumn, when nesting activity has ceased, we return to clean the hotel, inspect cocoons for parasites, replace damaged tubes, and prepare the structure for the season ahead. We provide a brief written note on what we found.
We can survey which species are using your nesting habitat throughout the season, recording occupancy rates and species identifications — producing data useful for ESG reporting and engaging content for building occupiers.
We successfully partnered with Urban Bees to incorporate bees into our wider biodiversity action plan. Urban Bees conducted site visits across our campuses to identify suitable locations to install bee hotels for cavity-nesting solitary bees and recommended bee-friendly perennials that our maintenance contractors could plant to feed bees and other pollinators year-round. They took part in an informative bee safari for students and staff.
Dr Nicola Hogan, Sustainability Manager (Operations), King's College LondonUrban Bees did a brilliant job. The additional planters Alison created for the wild bees really cheered up the view onto the roof from the office windows. And we were glad it was so popular with the local wild bees too. Many came to feed and some even checked into the bee hotels. It was great to see the observation box completely occupied!
Dominique Stevenson, Senior Facilities Manager, JLL — Adam & Eve, West LondonBee hotels and nesting habitat installed by Urban Bees on commercial buildings across London:
Nesting habitat works best when combined with good forage and ongoing monitoring. Find out about our rooftop planting service and our pollinator monitoring programme, which we operate alongside nesting habitat installation at many of our sites.
'A bee hotel in the right spot, with the right flowers nearby, can be fully occupied within weeks of going up.'
— Urban Bees
We work with offices, campuses, and commercial properties of all sizes across London. Get in touch to talk through what might work for your site.
Get in touch