The bug hotel is a new feature we’ve built in 2023 to encourage helpful insects to nest and hibernate in the garden. On 18 February we invited people to come and help us pack it with different materials to keep bugs cosy. These are some of the creatures that we hope will move in:
In the stick and twig rooms:
- Lacewings
- Ladybirds
- Earwigs
These guests will protect the plants by eating aphids.
In the ground floor log rooms:
- Centipedes
- Spiders
- Ground beetles
These will eat bigger plant-munching pests like slugs and caterpillars.
In the bamboo, air-brick and drilled wood rooms:
- Red mason bees
- Wool carder bees
- Bumblebees
Bees encourage plants to grow and reproduce by carrying pollen between them.
In the brick rooms:
- Woodlice – helpful guests who break down leaves and wood to create healthy soil
- Toads – if we’re lucky we might get some of these hibernating over winter
Would you like to build your own bug hotel to help keep your garden healthy?