Insect Hotels

[so lucky]

They really are works of art. I want one! But I have one grand daughter who would pull every one of those bamboo twigs out and break it, just because she could, the little darling.:/ (Even if she helped build it!)

 

[thistlebloom]

So Lucky, did you see the ones with wire over the front to keep birds out? That might slow down little fingers.

 

[hoodat]

What a great idea. The Europeans are way ahead of us in working with some insects instead of considering them all pests. A lot of Americans spray every wasp nest they see, not knowing that wasps are a great help with cabbage worms. Once my yellow jackets find them they're gone.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Really interesting and cool, thanks for sharing! Now i dont need to worry about the random piles o' stuff here and there in the yard

 

[so lucky]

So Lucky, did you see the ones with wire over the front to keep birds out? That might slow down little fingers.

That's a good idea, thistle. She's old enough to know better, but just can't resist.

 

[canesisters]

So has anyone ever built one of these? Unless I missed it, all of the pictures were from Europe, etc.... Are these a good idea here??? I am woefully ignorant on good bugs/bad bugs, do we have enough of the 'good bugs' that would find something like this useful?

 

[so lucky]

In the past we have had enough honeybees to do a lot of the pollination, but they are gone from my area. I didn't see more than a dozen all last summer. I definitely need some other pollinators. I may try to build one of these.

 

[897tgigvib]

Flowers such as simple to grow Cosmos, and coneflowers always seem to attract Bumblebees who are excellent pollinators.

 

[ninnymary]

I'm afraid of attracting the wrong kind of bugs with these beautiful "hotels". Is this possible? I would love to have one in my garden but I don't see any room for one. There is only so much you can cram in here.

Mary

 

[bobm]

A couple of years ago, we were looking for a house to buy in the PNW. The realtor showed us a house where the owners had a similar housing structure in the middle of a very large garden. Very FEW occupants that we could see, but the house's wood siding was entirely RIDDLED with holes and was abuzz with mason bees, wasps, and all manner of insects as well.