Creature Constructions 1. Insect Hotels and Bee Poles

Ideas for Insect Hotels and Bee Poles

Insect hotels are a fun and creative way to increase biodiversity in urban environments.

Almost any recycled materials can be used, provided they are non-toxic.

If you have examples of great invertebrate homes, feel free to share them in the comments section.

 The Holland Park Ecology Centre, London.  Note the holes drilled into the letters for native bees.

A beautiful and functional wall decoration. Blocks of clay and wood (with holes drilled 3 - 12 mm diameter and 5 - 20mm deep) and stacks of twigs provide habitat for a variety of insects.

Holland Park, London, UK.

Stacked wooden pallets become homes for crickets, beetles, worms and millipedes as well as geckoes, skinks and frogs.

Cut lengths of bamboo, hollow rose stems, and even drinking straws will be used by some species of insects.


Insect hotel, Wheatley, UK.

Insect Hotels using recycled plastic containers

 Plastic drink bottles filled with twigs, bamboo and leaves, Folded cardboard or forked twigs are inserted at the ends to hold the twigs in place. Note the frog shape cut from the leaf using a paper punch.


Workshop with Groundwork, Hertfordshire
Howard Park, Letchworth, UK.

 Bee Poles

A natural bee pole.  Borer holes in a dead Eucalyptus tree.

Joondalup, Australia.

 

A bee pole made from recycled timber and metal.  Holes in this pole are between 4 - 7 mm diameter.    The bees cut leaf pieces and collect resin from the prostrate Banksia  next to the bee pole.

Perth, Australia.