Bugs play a HUGE role in keeping our ecosystem in balance. From pollinating flowers to decomposing organic matter, insects are the often-overlooked champions of the natural world.
Invite more into your outside space
Our step-by-step guide on building a bug hotel this Climate Action Countdown:
- Get a large plastic bottle and cut it in half with scissors
- Cut out a newspaper page into four squares
- Roll each newspaper square into a sausage shape and fix with sellotape
- Slide the sausage-shaped tubes into the plastic bottle, until it is stuffed with long thin paper tubes
- Place the bottle on its side, outside in a shaded area and wait a few days for the bugs to arrive!
Top tips
Recycling and upcycling
One person’s rubbish is a bug’s treasure! Get creative with your bug hotel materials by using recycled or upcycled items like old pallets, bricks, and tin cans. Not only does this help reduce waste, but it also adds a unique flair to your bug hotel. Remember, bugs aren’t picky—they’ll appreciate any hideout you can provide!
Vertical layering
When building your bug hotel, think tall! Layer different materials like sticks, straw, and pinecones to create a multi-story habitat that bugs can explore and inhabit. This maximises space and also provides a variety of nooks and crannies for our tiny friends to live in.
Embrace native flowers
Plant a wide range of native flowers and herbs around your bug hotel to provide a tasty feast for the hungry insects and to attract pollinators. This will also add a pop of colour and fragrance to your outside space! When choosing plants for your bug hotel garden, use native species whenever possible. Native plants are adapted to your local climate and soil conditions, and they will need less water and maintenance, which means less work for you and more bug-friendly habitat for our tiny friends!
Find out more
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