A very frequent visitor on the bee hotels is the Red mason bee (Osmia rufa / Osmia bicornis).

Every year this bee is present at the bee hotel and is a settled garden inhabitant.

In the springtime many individuals are active with their broods. The bees seem to see opportunity in every hole they spot, for example old drill holes and holes in stones and cement. They do not check out vertical nesting opportunities like bamboo sticks or old plant rods. 
The variety in size is remarkable and it seems that as the season progresses the number of smaller inidviduals increases.

The males are also found around the hotel looking for femals. They are not that annoying and pushy towards the ladies as other species. The males use the hotel also as resting place from where they lazily sit in their hole observing the environment.

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