Make A Bug House or Insect Hotel From Household items
Beneficial insects are not only important to the ecology in your garden but are also vital food sources for birds, bats and mammals. Examples include ladybirds, lacewing and solitary bees, all which help with natural pest control and pollination.
Why not encourage them to hibernate through the winter in your garden by building a bug home or insect hotel?
Suitable materials include bamboo canes, bricks and stones, cardboard, plastic guttering, twigs and slate. Just pile them on top of each other or within a man-made structure.
Insects will not only use it for hibernation over winter, but also use it to lay eggs in the spring. Such bug hotels re-create the nooks and crannies often absent from tidy landscaped gardens.
Tips
Place bug boxes in a warm spot and ensure good drainage. Pooled water can flood or drown inhabitants.
Smaller boxes can be attached to a wall or placed in window boxes.
Did you know?
A bat can eat over 3000 insects in a single night so we had better all get building.