Nature Crafts
Build Bug Hotel
You may not like bugs and beasties, but they are an essential element of any wild space. Insects are very important because they help nature (and us!) in many ways:
Pollination – Bees, butterflies, and others carry pollen so plants, fruits, and vegetables can grow.
Food chain – Many animals (like birds, frogs, and fish) eat insects, so they’re a key food source.
Cleaning up – Some insects recycle waste by breaking down dead plants and animals.
Soil health – Insects like ants and beetles dig and mix the soil, making it richer for plants.
Human uses – We get honey, silk, and even some medicines thanks to insects.
Without insects, the world’s plants, animals, and even people would have a very hard time surviving.
Click the image on the left to learn about other designs of bug hotels.
Making your Bug Hotel
You will need ...
1 empty large plastic bottle
Pair of scissors
String
sticks/twigs
straw
pine cones
lichen/moss
seed heads
Step 1 - Cut the top and bottom off of the bottle so that you are left with a tube.
Step 2 - Pierce hole half way along the tube , and another hole directly opposite and pass a length of string through both holes. (Alternatively, 'loop' the string through the bottle as shown in the image.)
Step 3 - Tie a twig or short stick to one end of the string, and pull the string back through until the twig is tight up against the bottom of the tube. Leave enough string at the other 'loose' end to be able to tie the bug hotel to a branch or something similar.
Step 4 - Fill the bottle with the materials you have gathered so that there are gaps, nooks and crannies in amongst the tightly packed materials for the bugs to live in.
Image : https://www.youtube.com/@redtedart
Variations to the Bug Hotel
Did you know that of all the animal species on earth, roughly 9 out of 10 of them are insects ! There are some scary ones that can bite, sting or spread germs, but the vast majority of insects are harmless.
In our Bug hotels, we could have used a large tin can (with both ends removed) rather than a plastic bottle. The materials, too, could be pretty much anything you fancied ... dried leaves 'wrapped' in twigs, for example, but avoid using things (like wool or cloth) that might get wet and NOT dry out.
"Bug hotel at Easton Lodge Gardens, Little Easton, Essex, England" by Acabashi is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Points to ponder ...
Think about the hazards that might be present when working through this task ...
Working with scissors
Splinters from the wood
Cuts from the wood
Pokes in the eye from stuffing the materials into the tubes.
It might be worth thinking about safety goggles, and being ready to help children who might find it difficult to work with the scissors safely. It may be that you have to support them a this point in the project, or a least be ready to observe and guide appropriately. Remember, though, this is a learning opportunity for them. As much as possible, let them do things themselves. How else, after all, WILL they develop these skills ?