Insect hotels provide a welcoming habitat to friendly critters in your garden. Use this guide to build your own and welcome them.
Key Features of an Insect Hotel:
- Holes for bugs, like solitary bees, to nest
- Natural materials, such as moss or straw
- Wood, such as twigs and sticks, for beetles to burrow
- Place your insect hotel in a warm, shady location
Here are some insects that may call your hotel a temporary home:
- Mason Bees are small, solitary bees that are exceptional pollinators.
- Green Lacewings are voracious aphid hunters – a welcome addition to a garden.
- Carpenter Bees may hibernate in shallow holes, like those provided in an insect hotel.
See examples of insect hotels next time you are on the Garden’s trails outside the Butterfly Exhibit and on the Center for Desert Living Trail.
