Looking to build a bug hotel? Look no further for a tutorial on how to make a bug hotel simply from an old floorboard! This easy to make insect hotel will invite small bugs into your garden, plus it looks gorgeous!
This is a great project to do with children who can then discover more about the bugs that live in their gardens.
Insect Hotel
In nature, there are endless nooks and crannies where mini-beasts, also known as bugs or insects, can shelter. Take a look into crevices in bark, holes in dead wood, piles of fallen leaves, gaps between rocks, hollow plant stems, spaces in dead logs, and you will spot the home for many small creatures that need somewhere to nest or to escape from predators or bad weather. Therefore we looked at how to make a bug hotel from an old floorboard in order to provide a new home for the bugs!
To be fair you can use any scraps of wood that are lying around, we just happened to have a few old floorboards so decided to use the wood from that as our starting point.
Why Should You Make a Bug Hotel?
- Kids will learn to care for their environment
- Kids can identify native animal habitats
- In this project, kids will select from & use a wide range of materials to create homes for the mini bugs which is a great STEM activity.
- Inviting mini beats into your garden will help the garden develop, to create a garden fit for garden wildlife read this post.
What Makes a Good Bug Hotel
The best bug hotels have lots of small spaces in different shapes and sizes for the bugs to hide in. Some of the spaces should be nice and dry inside, and others a bit dampish. Bug hotels are generally made from natural objects and reclaimed bits of old tiles and other things that you would find in nature.
You Will Need
For the bug house
Wood (we used an old floorboard), screws, chicken wire, saw, sandpaper, drill.
For the filling
pine cones, small twigs, broken garden pots, small block of wood
Step By Step Instructions to make your bug hotel:
1. Saw 10 lengths of wood to the following dimensions. A floorboard is a great width at 110mm.
2. Sand the edges of each piece of wood for a smooth finish
3. Screw the base 170mm piece to the two back pieces, this holds the two back pieces in place.
4. Next, screw the two side pieces (250mm) to the back pieces (340mm) using a screwdriver.
5. Using the 200mm piece and 190mm piece fix the roof by screwing the two pieces together to make a right angle. Place to the side
6. Make a T shape with the divide and one shelf piece, attach with screws.
7. Attach the roof and shelves using screws.
8. Varnish to protect the wood.
What to put inside a bug house?
9. Collect small twigs, pine cones
10. Using a small block of wood drill some holes in which become hidey holes for bugs
11. Fill the shelves with your twigs and natural products.
12. The bottom shelf is ideal for pine cones, attach some chicken wire or thread some wire to hold them in place. Use screws to secure wire.
More Resources
If you enjoyed this how to make a bug hotel post then you may also enjoy ‘how to build a pallet planter‘ from Emma Reed.
