Products for Butterflies, Bees & Insects

The Buzz about Insect Hotels & Bug Hotels

Insects are vital to creating a healthy, balanced ecosystem in your garden. Boost insect populations in your garden by offering somewhere for bees and other insects to nest by adding an insect hotel to your garden. Insect hotels come in all shapes and sizes, so you can find the perfect fit for your outdoor area. For small urban gardens or balconies, wall mounted hotels will help to make the most of your space.

What is and Insect Hotel?

Insect hotels are nest boxes for bees and other insects, typically made with carefully shaped holes or tubes. They can encourage a variety of insects to visit your garden, helping to pollinate plants and boost biodiversity.

Which insects will visit my hotel?

Solitary bees such as mason and leafcutter bees will be the most likely guests at your insect hotel, along with solitary wasps. (Did you know that Mason bees are very effective pollinators? They feed on many garden plants and spring-flowering shrubs and trees, including apples, pears, and blackberries.) After collecting enough pollen in the tubes or holes, they will lay their eggs and cover them with more pollen. Once the eggs hatch, the pollen provides food for young bees as they prepare to leave the hotel.

Where should I put my Insect Hotel?

Place your insect hotel in a sunny spot in your garden, ideally near pollen-rich flowering plants, pointing slightly downwards so the rain doesn’t get in.

Which plants will help attract insects to my hotel?

Flowering plants such as lavender and buddleia are always popular, as are verbena, roses and Purple Echinacea (coneflowers). Blueberry, raspberry, and gooseberry shrubs will also attract insects.

How do I know if my hotel is being used?

If any insects have checked in to your hotel, you should see them crawling in and out in the summer, sometimes with mud and leaves. Be patient, as bees might not visit your hotel for the first year!

How should I look after my insect hotel?

Protect your insect hotel in autumn and winter by putting it in a shed or under cover out of the rain. In some insect hotels, the bamboo tubes can be removed and cleaned or replaced over time.

A little bit of water goes a long way

Providing a consistent source of water will help to attract all kinds of wildlife to your garden. Try adding a few partially submerged stones to your water dish for bees and butterflies to land on and remember to refill water dishes every 2-3 days.