Building My New Insect Hotel
We decided that this was a great day to build an insect hotel. Our second location on the property. Seems that the other one was all booked up most of the time!
Start with a base of sand…. Assemble pieces from your property [it is likely that you don’t need to buy a thing].
I used some use 2 “ plywood for a base, standing upright. Making sure that it is level, every layer that is added. With ‘duff’ material – raked from under an evergreen tree – to fill it up.
The bricks are from an old Mennonite meeting house that stood just down the street from our home. I like to use stuff that has a story and history.
This is nesting material that squirrels gathered in my wood shed. It is ‘pre disposed’ to rotting down nicely and attracting lots of beneficial insects.
Circle of plywood that was cut out of our counter top when they built our kitchen 12 years ago. Another story!
A big part of the hotel are the residence for mason bees.
3/8” is perfect for many common native bees to lay their eggs.
Jessica drills 1/4 “ holes to fit the Mark’s Choice mason bee refills.
Next layer!! One more to go…
Jessica has done a great job and obviously is very proud of her [our] work.
The rock gives it character and 3 T bars hammered a metre deep around the hotel give it stability. Don’t want any accidents!
Give it a try and remember, “rot and decay are your friends”
You heard it here first, very likely.
Mark and Jessica, summer student.
