I thought these beneficial insect hotels were pretty artistic. Wish I had a sunny place in the back yard to create one....only I am afraid the ity rats would take up residence instead. Darn. http://www.inspirationgreen.com/index.php?q=insect-habitats.html. Would one work in your yard?
Those are pretty neat. I don't think I need something like that. We have plenty of stuff laying around. And we throw all the down limbs/branches onto a burn pile, which only gets burned once a year (maybe). I could see red wasp having a field day setting up house in one of those!
I think that they would work well if you leave the straw out. Don't want the squirrels and those that look like them without the bushy tails taking up residence.
Some amazing insect hotels there. I love the title 'Creepy Crawly Towers' I have a few conventional bee houses scattered around my garden which are well used by the solitary bees, I have watched them cutting pieces of leaf from my shrubs and taking them into the houses. Sadly the ladybird houses are not being used, I have only seen one ladybird in my garden this year, such a shame.
I don't have specific insect houses but I do have plenty of places for insects to make homes in or to use for hibernation. I always try to attract lots of insects into the garden as they then go on to feed my birds, frogs, toads and newts. However, like Gardengirl I have seen very few ladybirds around this year.
I might give this a try next year and see what happens. Maybe a small motel for bees that need a place for the summer. A 2 or 3 star establishment, not too many amenities. Jerry
I have heard of those solitary bees called 'Bob the Bee'. A garden in Acadia ME encourages them by putting out Bob the Bee huts. I have been interested in doing the same.....just haven't done it yet!
They are so artistic! I like the idea of providing the habitat for the bugs etc. they can stay there instead of our homes!
Here is a photo of one of my bee houses, if you look carefully you can just see a bee disappearing into one of the holes at the top. When they have finished inside they block the hole with cut leaves. Leaf cutter bee ( photo / image / picture from Gardengirl's Garden ) [/img]
The problem with an insect hotel is you get the bad along with the good. I have been using orchard bees since 2006. If you don't protect the new filled bee tubes there are several small wasps that will burrow into the bee tubes and steal the larvae for their larvae to feed on.
We have a Bee Hotel and it's supposed to attract Mason Bees. There are about 20 "tubes" and only one was filled this year. However it seems the larvae must have died inside as they never came out. There is either enough wood for them to nest it already, not many Mason bee's around, or it might take a while for wildlife to set up home. Have to wait and see next year
I have had a Mason Bee Hotel out back for a couple of years but no Mason Bees have found it comfy enough to move in :'( Most of the 'stuffing' that makes up those hotels I already have laying around...but it just looks like junk that way. Now I need to get it put together into a nice looking condo next spring.
I have had Orchard Bees for app. 10 Years now. When I started out I bought 6 bee tubes with 6-9 bees in each tube. Not all "hatched". I followed recommendations and hung four bee houses with new tubes in apple trees with open end toward the morning sun. No activity in the new tubes for about a weeks time but the bees were very interested in my garage. I moved the bee houses under the garage overhang with the openings pointing North and that day they filled a couple of tubes. They filled every tube that year including every 1/4" hole in the garage. I now have app 200 filled tubes plus what ever comes out of the garage. ( photo / image / picture from jbest123's Garden )
Wow that is really neat bug hotels. I think the Orchard bee's and the mason bee's are a great idea. We need all those busy bee's doing all the pollinating of our crops.
