Build a bug hotel

SCHOOL holidays are upon us, so keep the kids amused by helping them create a rustic and useful bug house to attract beneficial insects to your garden, including spiders, lacewings and ladybirds. What you’ll need Any old wooden box or recycled wooden pallet will do - you’ll need it to stand up on its end to accommodate beneficial insects and other wildlife. You could nail boxes together (end to end) to make bug towers, which could be nailed on to a post or left free-standing on the ground. Collect wood, bark, twigs, leaves, pine, larch or spruce and any other natural materials.

You can also use old terracotta roof tiles, bricks with holes in them and even holey old plant pots. Lining the container Use dead leaves to line the back of the box, preferably oak or beech, as they will form the primary living area for insects. Fill it up Pack materials into the front of the box. These could be anything from cut-off branches to segments of bamboo cane, pine cones and other solid garden materials. Either create a visible pattern at the front of the box or just fill it randomly, wedging it all together with dead leaves or moss, the RSPB advises. Where to put it Bugs prefer sheltered spots, so place your new bug-friendly hotel under hedging or close to wild areas in your garden, where there might be nettles, brambles or other wildlife-welcoming plants that will attract bugs.