• Question: Hi I’m Emily and I am going to be doing the crest bronze award, and I’m going to do it on increasing biodiversity in gardens ,I am going to be making things like bug hotels and was wondering if you have any advice ?

    Asked by anon-274950 to Katie on 14 Dec 2020.
    • Photo: Katie Powell

      Katie Powell answered on 14 Dec 2020:

      Hi Emily. Wow, I’m really impressed – it sounds like a really exciting project! I’m not really sure how much you are able to do in your project, but I can offer a little bit of advice and knowledge here!

      For biodiversity to thrive in gardens, it is a good idea to try and create as many different habitats and food resources as possible. Bug hotels are a nice idea because people who don’t have lots of fallen-wood in their garden (which is great for wildlife) can put them outside to help insects find a home. If you want to attract different kinds of species to your bug hotels, you could make the ‘stems’ (the tubes that the insects nest in) different sizes – some of them quite narrow (3-5mm) and small for different kinds of solitary bees, and other tubes of different sizes (2-10mm) for a range of different insects like beetles. As many nesting insects like warmer conditions, the hotels should be put in a sunny spot, sheltered from wind if possible!

      Here is a good website to give you tips on making the hotels: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-make-bee-hotel

      As well as providing nice habitats, like the hotels you have suggested, it is a good idea to attract insects into the garden with different food sources too. It might go beyond the scope of your project, but different kinds of bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, and beetles like lots of different kinds of wild flowers that they feed from, so you could try making some seed packets or something which will grow different kinds of plants for your insects to enjoy. (Not only will they feed from them, but can use these for habitat too! Along side your bug hotels).

      The wildlife trust has some good advice on what plants are good for different species:

      https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-create-herb-garden-wildlife

      I hope this helps!

      Katie

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