Author:
Nadine de Chenu
Published:
October 3, 2020
If you're looking for something to do at home to help nature in your garden, why not build a simple bug hotel? Easy to make and using materials you'll easily find at home or whilst out walking, a bug hotel is lots of fun for children and grown ups alike!
Materials:
- A clean, empty plastic bottle (a large 2 litre one is ideal)
- Lots of sticks, twigs, pine cones or bamboo canes (if you don’t have any at home then why not collect some on your next walk?)
- Scissors
- Garden Twine or String (optional)
1) Cut your bottle down to shape by cutting off the top and the bottom...a grown up will need to help with this. You should be left with a cylinder shape with open ends.
2) If you plan to hang your bug hotel up, loop some garden twine or string around the cylinder. Alternatively you can place your hotel on the ground – or make two and see which is more popular!
3) Look through your pile of twigs, sticks, pine cones and bamboo and start to layer them inside the bottle – you might need to snap twigs to size and may need to cut bamboo canes down to fit inside (get a grown up to help!). Make sure you pack in the plant materials nice and firmly so they don’t fall out in the wind. All these materials are perfect for bugs to crawl into and find a warm, dry shelter.
4) Hang up your hotel or place on the ground and leave for a few days before you check out any new residents!
5) If you don’t have a plastic bottle available to use, you could try an old flower-pot turned on its side (to save it filling with rain water) and fill with sticks and twigs.
Have fun making your bug hotel and don't forget to share your creations with us on our Instagram and Facebook pages!
