Even if setting up an insect hotel is certainly well-intentioned, the animals do not automatically accept every dwelling. Gardeners often make mistakes when building their own. But even insect hotels that are commercially available are not always perfect. Here you can find out what you need to look out for both when buying and when making your own.
Straw attracts earwigs, but they feed on bee brood
Common mistakes
- wrong filling material
- Use of softwood, unfavorable bore
- glass walls
- Hibernation in closed rooms
- Wrong location
- predators
- Little food supply
Wrong filling material
Straw is considered an affordable and suitable filling material. However, earwigs in particular prefer fans filled with straw. However, earwigs are pollen thieves, so they feed on the brood of neighboring wild bees. Make sure that the different types of insects in your hotel get along.
Use of softwood, unfavorable bore
When building an insect hotel, you should only use hardwood and never drill into the end grain. Otherwise, cracks will quickly form, causing the bees to injure their wings. Holes should always be cleanly processed.
glass walls
Although a glass casing makes it easier to observe what's going on inside, the heat accumulates under glass panes. The result would be mold growth. A worthwhile alternative are groove boards, which you can open to take a look at the brood.
Hibernation in closed rooms
Even if a thick layer of snow covers your insect hotel (€11.33) in winter, you must not change its location under any circumstances to protect the animals from the cold. The change in temperature upsets the biorhythms of the residents. The sudden warmth signals to the insects that it is spring. They then emanate to gather food. Since there is no food available at this time, the animals starve to death.
Wrong location
Align your insect hotel to the south, but never in a north-west direction. Insects need a lot of sunlight. You should also avoid drafts. You must also protect the nesting aids from precipitation so that the filling material does not get wet.
predators
Sufficient height and a grid in front of the compartments make the dwelling inaccessible to predators such as cats and woodpeckers.
Little food supply
If the insects have to travel too far to provide themselves and their brood with food, they will look for a more suitable nesting site. Plant your garden with nectar-giving plants.