It's pollinator week and something we are passionate about at Meristem, is boosting the pollinator population and creating spaces for them to live and thrive. Bug hotels are a great way of attracting pollinators to your green space and are also lots of fun to make!
What is a Bug Hotel?
You may have heard of the term 'bug hotel', 'insect hotel' or 'insect house' but what does these terms really mean? As simple as the name sounds, a bug hotel is a manmade structure built from natural materials to provide safe nesting spaces for beneficial insects. They are a great addition to any green space and provide benefits to the environment, other wildlife and even humans too.
Our custom habi-stack hotel at Amhurst Road, Hackney
A bespoke bee hotel at Amhurst Road, Hackney
How do you build one?
Designing and building a bug hotel is really quite simple and can be a lot of fun! Most materials you need are natural and can be found outside or even in your homes.
Step 1: Build your frame
Use a wooden box, old pallets, stacked bricks or a combination of all three to build the walls of your bug hotel.
Step 2: Sourcing natural materials
To ensure your bugs and insects feel safe and ready to nest, its best to source materials that feel the most familiar to them, so try to keep these as natural as possible. Some materials are ideal for attracting certain wildlife and are not too hard to find. Consider using:
- Bamboo for beetles, spiders, woodlice and centipedes
- Perforated solid hardwood for stag beetles
- Bark for various insects
- Reeds for beetles, spiders, woodlice and centipedes
- Crushed stone and tiles for slugs, worms and frogs
A custom bug hotel designed with 18 different compartments featuring different materials in Coulsdon, Croydon
Step 3: Make holes in your components
Adding holes to each material ensures that insects have space to hide, nest and shelter throughout the year. Be sure to keep one edge of each material sealed to prevent predators from reaching the nests, maintain temperature and moisture control and ensure the safety of the nesters. Remember, most insects like having a single, safe entrance and exit.
Step 4: Add a green roof
Always add a roof to your bug hotel to keep it relatively dry and safe. Place bark, tiles and greenery on top to provide additional crevices and nesting space.
A bespoke bug hotel at St. John Street, Clerkenwell
3 bee posts and bug hotel at St. John Street, Clerkenwell
Step 5: Place your bug hotel in a sunny spot
The best location for a bug hotel is in a place that gets the best of the morning sun and the afternoon shade to ensure the insects can stay warm but not risk drying up.
Step 6: Watch the place become buzzing with life!
Now the hard work is done, you can sit back and let the pollinators flood in. If you're impatient, plant some native flowers around the habitat as these provide crucial pollen and nectar that can more quickly attract insects.
Once complete, all that's left to do is let nature take over. Over time, your bug hotel will provide valuable shelter for a range of insects, helping to create healthier, more biodiverse green spaces for years to come.
