There are so many bug hotels online, ready to purchase at the click of a mouse. As cute as these mini homes are, they aren’t always as useful as you might think (think style over substance). You can just as easily make a bug hotel for beneficial insects – like solitary bees, bumblebees and ladybirds – using materials found around your home.
Why create a bug hotel? When we do landscaping around our homes (trimming hedges, clearing away fallen branches and cutting grass, for example) we are creating fewer opportunities for these solitary bugs, who are responsible for a large amount of natural pollination and pest-control (which is why they're so beneficial), to make a home.
Like us, bugs need a place to rest their heads and they usually like sleeping in hollowed-out sticks. If we’re constantly clearing the yard of debris, we’re taking away their potential homes.
There’s no law that says you need to have an immaculate yard. Many believe it is better for the biodiversity of your home to let the lawn and hedgerows grow naturally. However, most of us prefer the manicured look – or, we at least like the look of something regularly mowed. That’s where creating a space for pollinators to live, like a bug hotel, can come in handy. Of course, if you decide you want to attract more good insects and pollinators to your yard, it’s also an excellent idea to plant some wildflowers nearby.
You will need:
Old wooden boards or pallets.Old cement blocks.Bamboo sticks (these can be purchased inexpensively in most garden centres).Cut-up or torn cardboard boxes.Broken terracotta flower pots.Old or broken piping.Rocks.Moss (optional).Pine cones (optional).Directions:
Pile the wooden boards and pallets on top of each other to create a tower (you can nail or screw them together if you’re concerned about them falling over) with a space of at least 10cm in between layers.Fit the cement blocks, flower pots and piping into each available space in between the boards.Fill the pipes, flower pots and cement blocks with the bamboo sticks (make sure they’re hollow on the inside), rolled up pieces of cardboard, rocks, moss and pine cones. Let the kids decorate the bug hotel. Leave in an area close to a food source (like a flower garden, orchard or hedgerow) and keep an eye on the hotel for a few weeks. For an extra activity, have the kids create a chart to keep track of all the different bugs they find in their bug hotel over the spring and summer months. *Just make sure they aren’t poking their fingers in the smaller holes; they could get stung or bitten.For a smaller project, your kids can make this simple bug apartment
You will need:
One 2L minerals bottle (cleaned).Moss.Pebbles.Bamboo sticks (or hollow bits of straw).Pine cones.String (for hanging).Directions:
Keeping the bottle tightly sealed, cut the bottom off completely, and then punch one hole on either side of the opening. Loop the string through the holes and tie tightly, so the bottle can be hung up. Layer the bottle with small pebbles, moss and pine cones. Cut the bamboo sticks to fit and slide them in. Hang the bug apartment up near a hedgerow and monitor which insects decide to call it home.
There are so many bug hotels online, ready to purchase at the click of a mouse. As cute as these mini homes are, they aren’t always as useful as you might think (think style over substance). You can just as easily make a bug hotel for beneficial insects – like solitary bees, bumblebees and ladybirds – using materials found around your home.
Why create a bug hotel? When we do landscaping around our homes (trimming hedges, clearing away fallen branches and cutting grass, for example) we are creating fewer opportunities for these solitary bugs, who are responsible for a large amount of natural pollination and pest-control (which is why they're so beneficial), to make a home.
Like us, bugs need a place to rest their heads and they usually like sleeping in hollowed-out sticks. If we’re constantly clearing the yard of debris, we’re taking away their potential homes.
There’s no law that says you need to have an immaculate yard. Many believe it is better for the biodiversity of your home to let the lawn and hedgerows grow naturally. However, most of us prefer the manicured look – or, we at least like the look of something regularly mowed. That’s where creating a space for pollinators to live, like a bug hotel, can come in handy. Of course, if you decide you want to attract more good insects and pollinators to your yard, it’s also an excellent idea to plant some wildflowers nearby.
You will need:
Old wooden boards or pallets.Old cement blocks.Bamboo sticks (these can be purchased inexpensively in most garden centres).Cut-up or torn cardboard boxes.Broken terracotta flower pots.Old or broken piping.Rocks.Moss (optional).Pine cones (optional).Directions:
Pile the wooden boards and pallets on top of each other to create a tower (you can nail or screw them together if you’re concerned about them falling over) with a space of at least 10cm in between layers.Fit the cement blocks, flower pots and piping into each available space in between the boards.Fill the pipes, flower pots and cement blocks with the bamboo sticks (make sure they’re hollow on the inside), rolled up pieces of cardboard, rocks, moss and pine cones. Let the kids decorate the bug hotel. Leave in an area close to a food source (like a flower garden, orchard or hedgerow) and keep an eye on the hotel for a few weeks. For an extra activity, have the kids create a chart to keep track of all the different bugs they find in their bug hotel over the spring and summer months. *Just make sure they aren’t poking their fingers in the smaller holes; they could get stung or bitten.For a smaller project, your kids can make this simple bug apartment
You will need:
One 2L minerals bottle (cleaned).Moss.Pebbles.Bamboo sticks (or hollow bits of straw).Pine cones.String (for hanging).Directions:
Keeping the bottle tightly sealed, cut the bottom off completely, and then punch one hole on either side of the opening. Loop the string through the holes and tie tightly, so the bottle can be hung up. Layer the bottle with small pebbles, moss and pine cones. Cut the bamboo sticks to fit and slide them in. Hang the bug apartment up near a hedgerow and monitor which insects decide to call it home. 
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