Bee, Butterfly Insect Hotel/House

BEE, BUTTERFLY AND INSECT HOUSES

Welcome nature's tiny guests to your garden and help save the bees and butterflies! Our Bee and Insect Hotel is the perfect way to invite these precious pollinators into your space while also providing them a safe place to rest, lay eggs and hibernate. Everyone wins - cheerful buzzing in the air and beautiful blooms!

Cohabiting with these Bee, Butterfly, and insect homes means both you and your garden get to benefit! It's a total buzz-win!

First things first... what is a bee/insect house/hotel?

In cold climates, an insect hotel is a hibernation place for insects. In the summer it is a nesting place. But no matter the type or creative design of an insect hotel, they all have one thing in common – they provide smooth, cylindrical spaces, 4 – 9 mm in diameter and at least 15 cm deep, perfect for the native stingless bees who are solitary by nature, and who use these spaces to hatch their young.

Because our parks, gardens, cities, public and private spaces are kept neat, clean and safe, there are very few dead branches left lying around to provide the crevices for bee nurseries. When building your own bee hotel you can use materials from nature like bamboo sticks or holes drilled into wood. Just bear in mind whenever you are building an insect hotel that the materials should be non-toxic, and to use non-toxic adhesives and paints. Bees are not fussy about what they use or what it looks like as long as it fits their needs and is in a sheltered spot out of strong sun and rain.

When built properly, an insect hotel can be the perfect habitat for insects in the garden, orchard or food forest and stimulates the diversity of insects. The result of diversity is an improvement of the overall ecological balance in the garden.

Who calls a bug-sized abode home?

An important aspect of the hotel is attracting insects and native solitary bees. Each climate has its own species of native bees. In fact, there are more than 1500 species of native bees in Australia and they play an important environmental role pollinating plants.

Native bees are in many aspects not comparable to honey bees — they show different behaviour and they come in different shapes and colours. An example is the Mason Bee that look to nest in cavities in walls, plant stems and dead wood, like we provide this in insect hotels. The advantage of native bees is that in most cases they do not sting.

1. Why have an insect hotel in my garden?

* Bees are an important part of any garden as they pollinate the fruits, herbs, flowers, and vegetables we grow in the garden.

* Solitary bees are harmless and not aggressive. They are often called “super pollinators” as they are very effective at pollination.

* Lacewings are best known for feasting on aphids, but they also help control mites, caterpillars, and whiteflies.

2. What kind of insect hotel is best?

* Look for insect hotels made from natural, untreated wood that is free from varnish, paint, and wood protectant.
* Insect hotels should have a variety of hole sizes (small holes are best) to attract different species.
* Several small insect hotels are preferable to one large hotel. Larger hotels are more vulnerable to parasitic wasps and bees.
* Insect hotels should have a sturdy back and a roof to protect them from rain.

3. When is the best time to install an insect hotel in my garden?

* Put insect hotels in place in the early spring so the insects can nest after hibernation.
* Have them ready for your garden friends for spring.

4. Where is the best place to put an insect hotel?

* Place the insect house as close as possible to the area that you want the insects' help pollinating and protecting.

* Close to a flower bed, garden, blossoming trees, bushes or stumps are good locations.
* You may also place the house where you have already noticed the desired insects' activity.

* Ideally, Insect hotels should face east or southeast to attract solitary bees. Full morning sun is best.

* Place them 1-1.5 meters above ground.

* The area in front of the insect hotel should be free of plants and vegetation that would obscure the tunnel entrances.

* Make sure the insect hotel is mounted properly and remains stationary. It should not shake or move in windy conditions.

5. What do I need to do once I’ve installed my insect hotel? Is there any maintenance?

* Inspect the insect hotel at the end of each summer for mould. You may also want to remove and replace tubes.

* Consider replacing the nesting blocks every couple of years to avoid mite and parasite build up.

6. What else can I do to attract beneficial insects and other forms of wildlife to my garden?

* Plant a variety of flowering herbs and flowers that provide nectar and pollen to attract pollinators.

* Don’t use pesticides.

* Create space for other beneficials like frogs, bats, and owls in your garden.

Each Bee, Butterfly and Insect Hotel/House comes with a packet of insect attracting flower seeds and hand branded Seedie logo.

*Products may vary slightly.

115mm x 225mm x 220mm