Bug Hotels
Bug hotels are a great way to encourage wildlife into an outside space. A whole range of different creatures make use of them from ladybirds and solitary bees, to woodlice and butterflies.
Many of these insects need a place to hibernate- this is when animals sleep through the colder winter months where there is less food for them. So, by creating a bug hotel you are providing a home for all sorts of insects through the winter.
The great thing about bug hotels is you can make them as big as you like, from a small one like we are showing you to one so big you could name it Bugingham Palace!
Insects in Bristol
Bristol is a fantastic place to build a bug hotel with a whole variety of insect species, some of which are so rare they can only be found in one or two other places in the UK! These are some of the rarer insects you might see if you walk along the Clifton Downs and Avon Gorge:
Make your own bug hotel
1. Cut the ends off a large plastic bottle, so you have a tube shape.
You might need to ask a grown up to help with the cutting!
2. Snap your twigs so they are roughly the length of your plastic tube
3. Stuff all your twigs, leaves and bark (and whatever else you found) through the middle of the tube.
Make sure to pack it in tightly so your hotel is durable and strong
4. Tie your ribbon or string tightly around the tube and make a loop to hang it up
5. Hang your insect hotel in the garden and see what creepy crawly creatures come to visit!
Questions
Some questions for you to think about:
What insects do you think will stay in your bug hotel?
What other household items could you use to make your bug hotel?
What other animals could you create a habitat for in your garden?
And here's one from our collection of 10,000 questions
Annabelle age 14 wants to know
‘How many bugs are in the world?'
Share your creation
We would love to see your bug hotels, and you can find us on:
facebook | twitter | instagram
And if you enjoyed this activity, why not try our others in this series?
Top image credit: Tom Griffiths
