An insect hotel is simply a man-made structure providing accommodation for hibernation, for insects like ladybirds, or a nesting site, for example, for solitary bees. It could also incorporate shelter for frogs and newts depending on the site and structure.
It is created out of natural, often recycled, materials like old pallets, pots and clay tiles. Its size and design very much depends on materials available and the creativity of the builders.
Using recycled materials to make an insect hotel.
Serving a functional purpose doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to be attractive and fun too. A bee can provide inspiration
Inspiration for a …
… for a cut or stencilled motif :
.. bee motif, cut or stencilled.
Why build one?
- To supplement the increasing loss of habitats
- To encourage beneficial creatures which aid pest control
- Encouraging biodiversity is good for the ecological balance…
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The second and final stop on our trip home from Devon recently, was Montacute House, Somerset. Surrounded by beautiful, formally laid out gardens, the warm, honey-coloured stone of the house glowed in the spring sunshine. There was a splendid display of tulips and wallflowers and a magnificent ‘cloud’ yew hedge reminiscent of those at Blickling House, near our home in Norfolk. We were fortunate to meet a gardener in the ”orangery’, which, she explained, was not really in the best spot for this and had in the past been more of a shady water feature, with its 
Old School Garden 