Whether insects find shelter in a house, a box or even clay pots does not matter to the animals. The equipment is much more important than the external form of an insect hotel. Since every animal has different requirements when it comes to the filling material, this article will tell you which insect hotel equipment you use to attract certain species.
Pretty much anything that nature provides can be used as filling material
Suitable filling material
Almost anything that is left in its natural state is suitable for furnishing an insect hotel. However, each insect species prefers a different filling material.
General equipment
Since most animals move into an insect hotel (€11.33) primarily for hibernation and breeding, the equipment should primarily be heat-storing. Narrow, small tubes support this property. In addition to loose filling, you should therefore also offer places to hatch, for example holes you have drilled yourself, hollow branches and bricks with holes in them.
Specific equipment
Do you particularly enjoy observing a particular type of insect? Are you perhaps even a hobby beekeeper and therefore primarily dependent on bees? Or would you like to use ladybirds to drive pests such as powdery mildew and aphids out of your garden? With these tips, the useful helper is guaranteed to move in with you:
- For wasps and wild bees: reeds, bamboo, drilled hardwood, clay or brick, mud walls
- For ladybirds, earwigs and lacewings: straw, natural wood wool, leaves
- For butterflies: thin branches
What to look for in the equipment?
Bees, wasps and butterflies run the risk of slitting their wings on sharp edges and unclean holes. These arise when you drill in the wrong direction when making your own. Here you will find instructions on how to drill holes.
Bricks should be sanded down with some sandpaper. In addition, the wind blows loose material like straw out of the compartments. It is not uncommon for birds to pick out the furnishings. It is best to secure your equipment with some wire. Moldy filling material must be removed immediately.