Bug Inn

• Children assemble it themselves with the screwdriver included
• Rooms for solitary bees, ladybirds, lacewings and beetles
• Untreated FSC pine and natural fillings, nothing toxic for insects
• Field guide card for checking who has moved in

Bug Inn is a flat-packed pine insect hotel that children build and fill themselves. The pre-drilled frame screws together with the screwdriver included. Then they fill the rooms: bamboo tubes for mason bees, a drilled hardwood block for solitary wasps, pine cones for ladybirds and lacewings. A mesh front keeps the birds out.

Why build one

Solitary bees are some of the most important pollinators in European gardens, and most species nest in hollow stems and holes in wood. Tidy gardens don’t have many of those. An insect hotel in a sunny spot is often occupied in its first spring. Watching a mason bee seal a tube with mud is the kind of moment children remember.

Where to hang it

Choose a sunny wall or fence facing south or south-east, at least a metre off the ground, sheltered from rain. Flowers nearby help. Leave it outside all year; the occupants spend winter inside the tubes and come out in spring.

A first real tool project

Most children under eight have never used a real screwdriver. The pilot holes are pre-drilled, so a five-year-old can drive the screws with an adult holding the frame. The field guide card shows the six most likely residents and how to tell them apart. Keep a notebook next to it: children love recording the date the first tube is sealed.

What’s in the box

• Pine frame (pre-drilled)
• Roof panel
• Bamboo tubes
• Drilled hardwood block
• Pine cones
• Mesh front
• Screws and screwdriver
• Field guide card: who checks in

Size, materials and care

Size: 26 × 12 × 32 cm (W × D × H), 1.3 kg. Materials: FSC pine, Bamboo tubes, Pine cones, Untreated wood blocks. Recommended age: 5 years and up (with an adult).

Leave the wood untreated. Hang it in a sunny, sheltered spot. Replace bamboo tubes every two years.

Safety

Tested to EN 71-1, EN 71-2, EN 71-3 and CE marked.

Questions about Bug Inn

Where is the best place to hang an insect hotel?

On a sunny, sheltered wall or fence facing south or south-east, at least one metre off the ground and protected from rain. Flowering plants nearby help.

When will insects move in?

Solitary bees look for nesting places in spring, from March to June. A hotel put up in autumn or winter is often occupied the following spring.

Can a 5-year-old build Bug Inn?

Yes, with an adult holding the frame. The holes are pre-drilled and the screwdriver is child-sized. Building and filling it takes about 45 minutes.