Wildlife hotels..

[Nicos]

I thought it might be interesting to share any piccies you find to give us ideas we could try ourselves!
this caught my eye as it looks lovely and is simple to make....

https://heavenscentgardens.files.wor...2/img_1172.jpg

sorry, Tis too big fit on the page but worth a look!

Please add any others you like the look of!

[roitelet]

looks very pretty Nicos.

Mine are very rudimentry not worth pictures. Large kitchen roll tubes cut in half and filled with hollow sticks, straw or folded paper. Work well in the tunnel and I might make some with off cuts of plastic pipe for outside. I also have a large pile of rotting wood for beetles but then I have lots of space. will collect pine cones this autimn to provide another habitat.

[ESBkevin]

I can't find a photo of mine.

I made a long slim box of planks and put an apex roof on it. Its about half the size of a shoe box or more.
I jammed a pine cone and a few canes and some dry hollow Ground elder stems in it. It sits on the first wire about 12" above ground among the espalier fruit trees.

I was late getting it sited last year so didn't see a whole lot of activity, hopefully this year it will be better used.

I did resort to killing a wasps nest yesterday evening. It sits in a tree stump in the hedge behind my house alongside the public footpath and in an area frequented by children playing. a liberal application of ant powder seems to have done the trick. There is a bumble bee nest (or at least was) about 5 feet away but they seemed less active once the wasps moved in, I home they are OK I did take care to only poison the wasp nest entrance.

[gardening_gal]

I thought you were going to post about hotels where one could go to engage with the wildlife. I didn't realise you meant for the wildlife!

*slinks out again as I have enough looking after plants, house and family without starting to care for the local wildlife too.*

[Nicos]

Here are a few I quite like...

[Nicos]

A nice one if you have any rotten slices of tree trunks...

[Nicos]

Oh so simple ones...

[Nicos]

Saved nesting material for birds using feeders?...

[Nicos]

Simple but sweet

[Nicos]

[Nicos]

[Nicos]

Using 2 biscuit tins!!!

[Nicos]

Ha!...This tickled me....

[Nicos]

[Nicos]

I found this bit of info if you want to attract specific insects...

"Insect Hotel step by step

1. Straw or wood: sheltered, this material will accommodate pretty lacewings, whose larvae feed on many pests: aphids, obscure mealybugs, whiteflies, thrips or eggs of acari.

2. Bamboo rods: they provide shelter for mason bee, solitary bees that pollinate the first flowers of fruit trees, already at the month of march.

3. Returned flower pots filled with hay it attracts earwigs who like pests such as aphids.

4. Wooden boards piled behind the metal plates: Where will come xylophagous insects involved in the decomposition of dead wood.

5. Pierced logs: they are very popular shelter for many very useful pollinators like bees and solitary wasps, whose larvae feed on aphids.

6. Bundles of pith rods as the bramble, rose, elderberry, provide shelter ideal for hoverflies and other Hymenoptera.

7. Bricks: they are appreciated by mason bee (solitary bees) ..

8. Small board close the one from the other and sheltered : they attract ladybugs who come to spend the winter. Their larvae consume a lot of aphids."

from this interesting site- Insect Hotels - Learning Landscapes - Professional Playscape Design in Portland, OR