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Mar 1st 2022
Gardening

Not long ago, the most popular way to get rid of aphids, snails, slugs and other unwanted pests was to “treat” them with poison. Luckily, times have changed, and more and more gardeners are opting for natural ways to keep pests at bay. Our favourite way is to build an insect hotel to house beneficial creatures, who in turn will take care of the unwanted guests.

A healthy, organic vegetable garden should be buzzing with bees and wasps, with plenty of butterflies and ladybirds flying around, as well lizards, worms, spiders, praying mantises and other critters living in harmony. The more of these you have in your veggie garden, the better for the garden’s ecosystem and the more productive your vegetable garden will be.

Some bugs (like dragonflies and ladybirds) feast on aphids, snail eggs and whitefly. Others (including wasps and tachinid flies) eat caterpillar larva before it turns into hungry, leaf-munching caterpillars. Beetles, millipedes and worms on the other hand, work as recyclers, breaking down decomposing matter and yet others do the work of pollination. All these critters are highly beneficial and with just a little time and effort, you can encourage them to call your veggie garden home, by building a Holiday Inn, Hilton or Marriott Hotel for them to bed down and lay their eggs in.

The first thing to do is find the best position for your insect hotel. Choose an area that is sheltered from the wind, and preferably north-facing. You could have the bottom part in permanent shade, while the top floors enjoy full sun – these will especially attract solitary bees. Your hotel will become fully occupied much quicker if you place it somewhere that is already an insect hotspot, like a pond, nectar-rich flowers or a pile of pruning debris.

While you can find ready-made insect hotels to buy, it's far more fun (especially for the little ones) to make your own. Once you’ve decided on your spot, gather your nesting materials and then use our easy DIY tutorial and get to work.

Your choice of wood, a few simple tools, and a couple of hours is all you’ll need to create your first insect hotel.

BUG HOTEL DIY

Your choice of wood, a few simple tools, and a couple of hours is all you’ll need to create your first insect hotel.

You will need:

  • Wood, according to cut list
  • Pencil
  • 30 x screws (3x40mm)
  • 2mm drill for pilot holes
  • Screw bit or screwdriver
  • Drill
  • Measuring tape
  • Jigsaw or hand saw
  • Chicken wire
  • Square
  • Pliers
  • Staple gun or nails

Steps:

  1. Take 2 x planks (152x25x900mm) and 2 x planks (152x25x152mm), position them as in Fig.1 and screw them together, using two screws per corner. This will create your basic box.
  2. Take the (152x25x290mm) and (152x25x265mm) planks, place them square next to each other and screw them together to create your roof.
  3. Place your box upright and the roof on top in the middle. Using two screws per side, screw the roof onto the box.
  4. Lie your box flat on its front and using the staple gun or nails, start from one corner and add your chicken wire.
  5. Work your way all around the edges making sure the wire is tightly pulled and secure.
  6. Take 1 short strip (22x22x800mm) and add it on top, as in the picture.
  7. Now place your box upright and start adding your natural material, placing the heaviest material at the bottom.
  8. Once you have added your material, add a 152x25x152mm block. Compress it down tight to hold your material in place.
  9. Once it’s in place, add two screws per side. Repeat until your box is filled to the top.
  • Optional step: lie your box back down and add a layer of chicken wire (as in step 4-6) in front to help hold your material in the box.
  • You may choose to paint your box on the outside with acrylic paint for decoration, but it’s best left natural for the bugs.

Material options:

  • Strips of wood
  • Straw
  • Moss
  • Dry leaves
  • Woodchips
  • Old terracotta pots
  • Old roofing tiles
  • Bricks, preferably those with holes through them
  • Old logs (drill random holes in them)
  • Bark
  • Pine cones
  • Sand
  • Soil
  • Hollow bamboo canes
  • Dead hollow stems cut from shrubs
  • Twigs and sicks
  • Dried grass

Cut list:

  • 152x25x900mm x2
  • 152x25x152mm x6
  • 152x25x290mm x1
  • 152x25x265mm x1