How to make a Bug Hotel

There are about 10 million species of insect in the world and they all need somewhere to live. Insects love an untidy garden! Piles of dead wood and leaves lying around the place are a source of food to some insects and provide shelter for others.

For many insects a heap of autumn leaves is the ideal place to hibernate through the winter. Unfortunately, as our gardens and green spaces are built on and become more managed, insects have fewer and fewer places to live, so what better way to help insects than to build them a home, all for themselves!

You will also be helping local birds, many of whom rely on insects as a food source.

What would you need to build a bug hotel?
Well the easy answer is anything you can find! You don’t have to spend lots of money at a garden centre, DIY store or on the internet, just have a look around and use a little imagination.

Where to site your bug hotel:
Many bugs and insects like cool damp conditions, so you can position your hotel in semi-shade, by a hedge or under a tree. Putting the hotel close to other wildlife features, such as a hedge, shrubbery or a pond will make it easier for small creatures to find it.

Build your hotel using recycled materials (suggested materials)
Palates or strips of wood
Roof tiles
Plastic and ceramic pipes of various sizes
Deadwood – sticks and logs of all sizes up to half a metre long
Logs drilled with various sized holes
Hollow bamboo canes
Bricks and concrete blocks (preferably with holes)
Plastic and ceramic pipes of various sizes
Cardboard tubes and corrugated card (keep them dry!)
Roofing felt
Stones
Crushed brick and concrete rubble
Straw
Hay
Dry leaf litter
Sand
Plastic bottles
Pen casings and drinking straws
Plant pots
Pinecones

This is just a short list of materials. You may come up with many other things, there are no rules.