An insect hotel protects biodiversity and enriches the garden with a beautiful look, no question. A self-made shelter is all the more useful. But the long list of materials required discourages many a craftsman. Not so with a canned insect hotel. Recycle old pots in an environmentally friendly way and build an insect hotel with little effort.
Small but mighty: The insect hotel made out of cans
building instructions
material
- A cleaned can (about 10 cm diameter)
- Filling material (see below)
- A ribbon for hanging
- A scissors
- A hot glue gun
- A pincer
- sandpaper
- a hammer
- a nail
- Chemical-free color on request
Action
- Clean the can and dry it well.
- Use the pliers to bend the edge back and smooth off any sharp edges to avoid injury.
- Poke small holes in the bottom of the can with a hammer and nail so that the air can circulate well later.
- At this point you can design your insect hotel (€11.33) as you wish. Pay attention to non-toxic paint.
- Use the time the paint is drying to trim the stalks and make the clay.
- Attach the stuffing material to your insect hotel.
- Now all you have to do is choose a suitable location.
Which insects get a canned insect hotel?
Which insects make themselves comfortable in your canned insect hotel depends primarily on the filling material.
Plant stems for wild bees
Hollow plant stems, such as bamboo, offer bees an ideal breeding ground. You can tell that animals have settled in by the closed holes.
Clay for wild bees
In addition, wild bees like to dig their shelter independently. Clay walls are ideal for this. Instructions on how to make them yourself can be found via the link in the assembly instructions.
Straw for earwigs
Earwigs, on the other hand, love heat-storing filling material such as straw or wood wool. Be sure to fasten the equipment securely so the wind doesn't blow it out.
Note: Unlike a multi-story bug hotel, it's difficult to set up compartments in a can. Since not all insects get along when they live next door to each other, you should limit yourself to a maximum of two species-appropriate materials when choosing the filling material.