Rainy Day Projects • Bugs

Fun Weekend Challenge: Build a "Mini-Beast" Motel 🏨

Published on Early Summer • By The Wiggle Worms
Children building a luxury bug hotel

Got some spare twigs, old bamboo canes, and pinecones from your local woods? Let's build a bug hotel to attract ladybirds and solitary bees. They are the superheroes of the garden and will help eat the greenflies on your plants!

What You Need:

  • The Frame: An old wooden crate, or even a stack of bricks.
  • Filling: Pinecones, hollow bamboo canes, dry straw, and dead wood.
  • Safety First: Some wire netting to keep your bug hotel from falling apart.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Find a Quiet Corner: Pick a spot in the garden that doesn't get flooded.
  2. Pack the Rooms: Stuff your frame with twigs, canes, and pinecones. The tighter the better!
  3. Secure the Roof: Use the wire netting to keep all your "rooms" firmly in place.
  4. Host the Guests: Leave it be—the bugs will find their new home very soon.

🪲 The Bug Checklist

Once your hotel is built, head out with a magnifying glass and see who checked in! Look for ladybirds, woodlice, and bees. Don't forget to keep a tally of how many different "guests" you find.

Download the Bug Hotel Blueprint