Build yourself an INSECT HOTEL

Welcome pollinators and other beneficial insects to your garden by creating a DIY bug house – then let nature do its thing

If you’re a gardener and a nature enthusiast, you’ll love creating an insect hotel. With all of its nooks and crannies, it will provide a vital haven for pollinating butterflies, solitary bees, lacewings, ladybirds and other insects that help pollinate flowers, control pests and maintain a healthy garden ecosystem.

An insect hotel is easy to make

– you just need an open bird house or a wooden box with an overhanging roof to protect it from rain. Instructions to make a simple box are below. Once you have your frame, fill it with materials from nature to provide shelter and nesting fodder for your guests.

YOU WILL NEED

1 x 10cm-wide rot-resistant wood board (you’ll need about 90cm in length) 1 x 13cm-wide rot-resistant wood board (you’ll need only 14cm in length but may need to buy a longer board) 3cm screws Wood glue

Twigs, wood chips, cut bamboo canes, blocks of wood with drilled holes, pinecones, dried leaves, bark, straw and/or hay Hanging hardware

CUT OUT THE BOX SIDES

For the sides of the box, cut two 23.5cm pieces from the 10cm-wide board. On each piece, mark one long edge at 21cm. Draw a line from this mark to the opposite corner and cut on this line so that the top edge is angled.

CUT OUT THE OTHER PIECES

For the back, cut a 23cm piece from the 10cm-wide board. For the middle and bottom sections, cut two 10cm lengths from the 10cm-wide board. For the roof, cut a 14cm piece from the 13cm-wide board.

ASSEMBLE THE BOX

Place the side pieces on either side of the back piece (along the long edges) and screw through the outside of the side pieces into the long edges of the back board. Insert the bottom piece and screw in both sides. Glue the middle piece to the inside of the side pieces, and screw it in place, if you wish.

SCREW ON THE ROOF

Attach the roof by lining it up flush with the back board but so that it hangs over the front and sides. Screw through the roof into the side and back pieces.

FILL THE BOX

Stack your cut bamboo canes, drilled blocks of wood and any other

YOUR BUG HOTEL RESIDENTS WILL BE READY TO POLLINATE YOUR FLOWERS, DECOMPOSE PLANT MATTERAND DEVOUR UNWANTED PESTS

filling materials you have chosen so that they are packed tightly but still allow ample space for different insects to enter and nest.

FIX THE FINISHED HOTEL

Attach hanging hardware to the back of the box and fix it to a fence or tree trunk – about 90cm off the ground is a good height – preferably facing south so your bugs can benefit from the warmth of the sun.

COSY HAVEN Fill your box with found and recycled materials, from twigs to hollow plant stems, cardboard tubing, drilled wood blocks, dried leaves and bark

IDEA TO STEAL HOME HELP Solitary bees like to nest in hollow stems or holes drilled in blocks of wood; ladybirds like to hibernate between twigs or dried leaves packed together; beetles, centipedes, spiders and woodlice love to hang out under rotting wood and bark Find a quiet spot for your insect hotel where residents won’t be disturbed