I saved some pallets for making a bug hotel, but the little sw!!e of a hyperactive grandson of my cousin smashed them up when I had my engagement party. I know how people who went away for the weekend to find their darling sons had a facebook party feel. However, I salvaged some half pallets and made a bug hotel with a hedgehog basement.
New hubby had the temerity to say it looked untidy!!!!
Not mine, this was in the botanic garden in Aarhus Denmark.
Just a couple of questions. I'm a novice hotelier.
Is there any logic to the order in which one should layer each zone? I have 6 pallets and have separate layers which inclue the folowing:
Sphagnum Moss, broken plant pots, bundles of cane, hay / straw, pine cones, bark, gourds, slate, drilled wooden blocks and twig bundles. I didn't apply any rationale to which went on top or bottom but am now wondering, since each of these is supposed to be designed to attrach different insects (masonary bees, earwigs, lacewings etc) whether there is any need to consider accessibility. For example, should the bark for the earwigs be on the bottom? Or doesn't it matter? This is my first attempt so any advice from a bug hotel veteran would be appreciated.
Also, is it important to keep it dry all the time inside? I have ivy and moss on mine and have been watering it with a hose every now and then.
These look great, i am yet to have a go, though i do have a massive pile of logs providing homes. Yesterday in the supermarket though i saw 'bug spray' looked like it killed everything. Its an odd situation, some people are spraying to kill all and others are building high rise accommodation.
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I saved some pallets for making a bug hotel, but the little sw!!e of a hyperactive grandson of my cousin smashed them up when I had my engagement party. I know how people who went away for the weekend to find their darling sons had a facebook party feel. However, I salvaged some half pallets and made a bug hotel with a hedgehog basement.
New hubby had the temerity to say it looked untidy!!!!
Not mine, this was in the botanic garden in Aarhus Denmark.
Just a couple of questions. I'm a novice hotelier.
Is there any logic to the order in which one should layer each zone? I have 6 pallets and have separate layers which inclue the folowing:
Sphagnum Moss, broken plant pots, bundles of cane, hay / straw, pine cones, bark, gourds, slate, drilled wooden blocks and twig bundles. I didn't apply any rationale to which went on top or bottom but am now wondering, since each of these is supposed to be designed to attrach different insects (masonary bees, earwigs, lacewings etc) whether there is any need to consider accessibility. For example, should the bark for the earwigs be on the bottom? Or doesn't it matter? This is my first attempt so any advice from a bug hotel veteran would be appreciated.
Also, is it important to keep it dry all the time inside? I have ivy and moss on mine and have been watering it with a hose every now and then.
HH
I love that so many people r making such an effort to help out the insects
yay!!!
These look great, i am yet to have a go, though i do have a massive pile of logs providing homes. Yesterday in the supermarket though i saw 'bug spray' looked like it killed everything. Its an odd situation, some people are spraying to kill all and others are building high rise accommodation.