Insect Hotel Photos.

[ginger ninger]

Well not really a Hotel, more like a B &B, I made this last week but I've been having trouble getting my photos to load.

I was really surprised just how easy it was to make it only took 1/2 an hour, I had all the bits I needed in the garden, I placed it next to the compost bin and raised bed so the good bugs have somewhere to hopefully survive the winter, I'm really chuffed with it.
I've had a look today and creepy crawlies have taken up residence already, how cools that

[Angelflower]

Aw that is fab, totally useful but looks really cute hope you get lots of bugs in there

[ginger ninger]

There's quit a few moved in already, I've even go a toad in the leaves at the bottom, with a bit of luck he'll eat all the slugs that visit the compost bin.

[Jeanied]

Gosh that's amaazing! What different layers did you use? (I want one!!)

[ginger ninger]

There's compost and small pebbles at the bottom for the worms, with a large broken pot stuffed with leaves what the toad is calling home, I've put some old rotting logs in and sphagnum moss over them, small plant pots in the top part with a bunch of 10" long canes in the top of them, I've stuffed some more leaves down the back, I'll keep adding to it. The top is an old shelf from a kitchen unit, with a large pot of grasses in, hopefully they'll trail down the front.

[Jeanied]

See - I'm good at the theory: but that is totally useless until you do something in practice! I'm deffo going to start collecting the materials to build my own on the lottie. I'd like to put a hedgehog hotel at the bottom too - I have the hood to a cat litter tray that may do but I have to figure out how to ventilate it. That and find some straw from somewhere...

[ginger ninger]

Drill some small holes in the lid, fill it with lots of leaves and grass if you look round your allotment you'll be amazed at how much stuff you have kicking about, make it as natural as as you can, I've got an old log I'm going to drill some holes in for the bees. I've got to do a bit more research into what else I can add, but I'll let you know.

[Lovage]

Brilliant! - looks interesting, provides home for loads of bugs and tidies the garden!

I made one in summer by cutting up an old pallet and stacking sections on bricks like a bookcase. I keep adding to it mainly with things from the garden and now every floor is about full.
When I cut back various plants I cut the stems into similar lengths and made bundles -Lovage stems are hollow and work well, sunflower stems were pithy, raspberry canes also worked well.
I discovered that if you drill holes in logs or scrap wood for solitary bees, the hole size should be 8mm to suit different bees. Actually had some used and plugged with mud

GingerNinger - hope you get some more ideas and build a few more floors to your hotel!

[ginger ninger]

I never thought of using Sun flower stalks, I'm thinking broad bean stalks are nice and hollow as well, I might pop some of those in as well, thanks for the idea Lovage. The holes I drilled today in my logs are 10mm round, so I hope I get some solitary bees in them.

[moola]

That looks ace! Insect homes are brill - not only becuase they help the little bugs and whatever but they actually give use to all that 'stuff' that most people have lying around in their garages/sheds/garden corners etc etc. I love the fact that it is all put to really good use