Build an insect hotel

Some insect species are declining or endangered, yet they are essential:

• for pollination
• for eating dead plants, animals and manure
• as food for other insets, birds, fish, reptiles and mammals.

An insect hotel may attract:

• native bees
• stingless wasps
• lacewings
• hover flies
• lady birds
• native earwigs
• beetles
• spiders.

Get started

To build your own insect hotel, you’ll need:

• a hotel frame such as a wooden box or small cupboard
• rooms made from bamboo, hose offcuts, wood offcuts, matchstick blind offcuts, pots, cans, bundles of sticks, pithy stems (such as fennel, grape vines, blackberry), holes poked into clay packed into a can or garden pot, clay pipes
• building materials such as twine, screws, screwdriver or drill.

Your hotel should:

1. use smooth, cylindrical objects with a hole at one end
2. incorporate holes 3–9 mm in diameter and 15 cm long
3. use natural non-toxic materials
4. be sheltered from strong sun and rain, ideally facing north-east with a roof to protect the entrance
5. be sited 1–2 metres off the ground
6. be kept stable and not able to swing in the breeze.

Avoid materials such as pinecones, seed pods and dry grass that may encourage insects that compete with native bees.

Steps

1. Collect materials.
2. Make the frame or set up existing frame.
3. Collate materials and build rooms. For example, tie a bundle of sticks together using twine, use a pencil to make 8 mm diameter, 15 cm deep holes in clay packed into a can or pot (ideal for blue banded bees).
4. Fill the hotel frame with the rooms.
5. Fill gaps with sticks or bamboo.

Check your hotel

If you hear buzzing sounds inside the hotel, insects have checked in. Holes plugged with clay, resin or other material show native bees have moved in.

Keep in mind materials will break down and need to be replaced. Modify your hotel over time as you observe insect behaviour.

Brush spiderwebs away to avoid trapping your hotel residents. Be aware of the risk pests bring and provide appropriate supervision.