neighbor's trash can: Share this post Email this post 15 Comments I can't recall, wasn't it here where I saw some awesome built in native bee nests? Things like a brick wall in a house, or a retaining wall that were kind of like 'permanent' bee structures. I guess the thing I ask about these arrangements is, do you clean them out after the bees vacate, or can they tend to that themselves? I've seen a picture of a really giant mason bee house made of solid wood, and they hose/clean it out at the end of a season. Would be fantastic to try something a little more 'disposable' like reeds, and then just compost them when done! As far as cleaning the nest, we're not 100% sure on how to answer that. As with most gardening topics, I suppose the answer is "it depends" and "use your judgement". Pollinators can clean out debris, and some use the same hole repeatedly. Some pollinators use holes made by other pollinators the previous season. But of course in the wild they'll just move on if an established hole gets too gunky, and you want them to stay in your house. So keep an eye on things and clean when it looks like it needs cleaning. Some people take another step in construction wood block houses like the one above to make clean out easy: they drill all the way through, then cap the back with a piece of wood. Come the end