In order to attract as many insect species as possible to your garden, you should set up different compartments in your insect hotel. Each animal prefers a different material for its shelter. Here you can read which guests you can look forward to with the relevant materials.
Diverse material guarantees species richness in the insect hotel
Frequent residents
- wild bees and wasps
- butterflies
- Beetles, especially ladybirds
- lacewings and earwigs
wild bees and wasps
- Bricks or clay stones, the holes in which you fill with hollow branches
- Uninhabited snail shells (you have to secure them with a grid to prevent them from falling out)
- Clay bricks are great for laying eggs
- Plant stems like bamboo tubes
- drilled wood, never drill into the end grain, otherwise cracks will form, it is best to use hardwood
Note: Especially when setting up the compartments for bees and wasps, you must ensure that the objects do not have any sharp edges. The flying insects recognize the danger of scraping their delicate wings at the corners and consequently avoid the offered shelter. Softwood tends to crack if drilled in the wrong direction. Therefore, only use hardwood. Recommended suppliers are apple trees or beeches. Other positive properties of these types of wood are that they do not form resin, are durable and do not warp even when exposed to moisture. When drilling the holes, choose different diameters and depths to suit each animal.
butterflies
- thin, flexible branches, recommended diameter: 5 mm, work small cracks into the wood as entrances
Beetles, especially ladybirds
- Bark mulch or dried firewood
- fir or pine cones
- Wood wool, as the material stores heat
- Foliage, completely dried so that mold does not form
lacewings and earwigs
- fir or pine cones
- Straw as a nesting place and winter quarters
- Wood shavings in a red-painted compartment with small holes as a heat-storing accommodation, absolutely free of pollutants
Note: Any material should be completely dry before installation to avoid mold growth. You should also check your insect hotel (€11.33) regularly for rotting contents. Nesting material that remains uninhabited for a long time should be removed.