Do Insect Hotels Really Work?

DIY insect hotels for the garden can help bees and pollinators, but vigilance is key.

Insect hotel photo by Nils Schirmer, Unsplash — Image credit: Nils Schirmer, Unsplash

In recent years, the popularity of insect hotels has surged among gardeners and nature enthusiasts. These structures, also called bug hotels, are crafted from natural materials and aim to provide safe havens for beneficial insects like solitary bees. But the question lingers - are insect hotels a good idea? This article delves into the benefits and responsibilities of maintaining an insect hotel, the types of insects they attract, and the best practices for ensuring they contribute positively to your garden ecosystem.

Insect hotels can be a valuable addition to any garden, offering sanctuary to a variety of beneficial insects who pollinate the flowers, vegetables and trees growing in our yards. However, the ability of the insect hotel to benefit insects and promote biodiversity hinges on the commitment of the gardener to maintain and monitor these structures. Without regular care, insect hotels become problematic, fostering parasites and disease instead of supporting healthy insect populations.

For those willing to invest the time and effort, insect hotels provide an excellent opportunity to support local biodiversity and enhance garden health. By understanding the needs of different insects and maintaining a clean, well-placed hotel, gardeners can reap the benefits of these miniature habitats while contributing positively to the environment. Vigilance and care are key to ensuring that your insect hotel remains a safe haven rather than a hazard for its tiny residents.

If you're not willing to invest the time to clean, inspect, and maintain an insect hotel, consider planting a pollinator garden instead, chock full of pollinator favorites like mountain mint (Pycnanthemum species) and summersweet (Clethra alnifolia). Some plant species naturally attract and feed pollinators without requiring the regular upkeep that an insect hotel demands. By creating a pollinator-friendly garden, you will still be providing essential resources for beneficial pollinators without the need for insect hotel inspections and maintenance.

Why Do People Make Insect Hotels?

Insect hotels are created for several reasons, primarily centered around environmental conservation and enhancing garden biodiversity. The main motivations include:

Supporting Pollinators: Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are crucial for the pollination of many plants, including food crops. By providing them with shelter, gardeners can help sustain these vital populations.
Pest Control: Certain insects, such as ladybugs and spiders, are natural predators of garden pests, eating substantial quantities of aphids, beetles and mosquitoes. Insect hotels can attract these “good bugs” and help to keep populations of the “bad bugs” down, providing a natural means of insect control without the use of chemicals.
Educational Purposes: Building and observing insect hotels can be an educational activity, fostering a deeper understanding of insect life cycles and the essential role these tiny creatures play in the food web. Engaging children, tweens and teens in building an insect hotel is an excellent way to connect them with nature.
Biodiversity Promotion: Insect hotels play a crucial role in supporting biodiversity by providing solitary insects with a sanctuary to shelter and construct their nests, mimicking their disappearing habitats. These structures are vital for offering beneficial insects accommodation within gardens of all sizes, from small urban and suburban plots to expansive public and community spaces.

Are Insect Hotels Good or Bad?

Insect hotels can be a valuable addition to any landscape, but their success hinges on the commitment of the gardener. Without regular care and proper placement, insect hotels can become problematic, fostering parasites and disease instead of supporting healthy insect populations. So, are insect hotels good or bad? This issue, unfortunately, has not been widely studied. Insect hotels are currently thought to be helpful, but only when handled properly.

Insect hotel with different materials and sign "Willkommen Insekten" build by children

Benefits of an insect hotel:

Offers a close-up chance to observe and learn about the insect world
Can serve as an attractive garden feature and focal point
A fun and inexpensive method to promote biodiversity
Provides shelter and nesting sites for pollinating insects
Enhances insect biodiversity in the surrounding area
A creative way to inspire children and teens to connect with nature

Drawbacks of an insect hotel:

Maintenance requirements - without regular monitoring and cleaning, insect hotels become breeding grounds for parasites, mold, and disease, which can harm the very insects they aim to support.
Poorly designed hotels or those placed in unsuitable locations can attract unwanted pests or fail to provide adequate protection for beneficial insects.
If too many insects inhabit a single hotel, it can lead to overcrowding, blockages and increased vulnerability to predators and disease.

What Is the Best Site for an Insect Hotel?

The placement of an insect hotel is crucial to its success. If you are wondering where is the best place to put an insect hotel, here are some tips for choosing the optimal site:

Sunny Location: Most pollinators, especially bees, prefer warm and sunny spots. Position the hotel facing south or southeast to maximize sunlight exposure and provide warmth for the sheltering insects.
Shelter from Wind and Rain: Ensure the hotel is sheltered from strong winds and heavy rain - an overhang of 2+ inches is ideal.
Near Plants: Place the hotel near flowering plants, shrubs, and trees that provide nectar and pollen. This proximity makes it easier for pollinators to find food. Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum species) is one of the best plants you can grow to support pollinators.
Off the Ground: Elevating the insect hotel off the ground helps to protect it from predators and excessive moisture.
Stable Mounting: Secure the hotel firmly to prevent it from swaying or falling, which could disturb and harm the insects inside.
Chemical-Free: Do not use pesticides and other harmful chemicals in your garden. In addition to killing the “bad bugs” and weeds, they will kill the beneficial insects and bees you are trying to help.

How to Make an Insect Hotel

Creating an insect hotel can be a fun and rewarding project. Start by gathering together natural materials like hollow bamboo canes, pinecones, straw, and small twigs. Make sure to use natural wood that has not been chemically treated, and do not use cedar, which naturally repels insects and can even kill larvae. You may want to research the types of insects you’d like to attract and choose nesting materials accordingly. For instance, hoverflies prefer pinecones as nesting sites, while mason bees are drawn to tunnels or holes in wood. Construct a sturdy wooden frame or box to house these materials, which can be built from scratch or repurposed from an old crate or wooden pallet. Divide the frame into multiple compartments to accommodate different materials, providing a variety of nesting spaces for various insect species.

Insect hotel interior photo by Annie Spratt, Unsplash — Image credit: Annie Spratt, Unsplash

When preparing bamboo canes or drilling holes into wood blocks, ensure that all edges are smooth, not rough, to prevent harming the insects. Consider using paper tube liners inside of tunnels to further protect the insects and to make cleaning easier. These special liners are available to purchase through beekeeping supply stores.

Arrange the nesting materials tightly within their compartments to keep them secure and prevent them from being dislodged by wind or curious animals. It’s also important to build a sturdy roof for the insect hotel to protect it from rain - an overhang of 2+ inches will ensure the materials inside stay dry. Consider covering the front of the hotel with chicken wire to keep the materials secure inside. A few holes drilled into the bottom of the hotel will ensure proper drainage after a windy rainstorm.

Over time, the nesting blocks and other components will degrade, so it's important to change them out on an annual basis. Regularly examine the insect hotel to ensure it remains in good condition and replace any damaged or moldy materials as needed. By frequently inspecting and maintaining the insect hotel and using appropriate materials, you will create a safe and inviting environment for beneficial insects and contribute to a healthier garden ecosystem.

Bug hotel image by Annie Spratt, Unsplash — Image credit: Annie Spratt, Unsplash

Use your creativity and imagination to transform the hotel into an attractive garden feature and focal point! Paint or stain the wooden frame, and consider embellishing the exterior with unique accents like mosaic tiles, carved wooden detailing, or even a green roof planted with succulents. Create lively shapes and patterns by arranging the nesting materials in interesting ways. By using these creative touches, your insect hotel will become both a charming conversation piece and an important piece of real estate for the beneficial bugs in your garden.

Maintenance: Keeping Your Insect Hotel Clean

Maintenance is a crucial aspect of ensuring that insect hotels remain beneficial rather than harmful. Here are some guidelines for keeping your insect hotel in top condition:

Regular Inspections: Check the hotel periodically for signs of mold, parasites, and pests. Remove any debris or unwanted occupants.
Cleaning and Replacing Materials: Clean the hotel at least once a year, and replace any damaged or decayed materials to maintain a healthy environment for the inhabitants.
Parasite Management: Look out for parasitic wasps and mites that can harm bee larvae. If detected, take steps to manage these parasites, such as removing infested tubes.
Rotation of Materials: Periodically rotate or replace nesting materials to prevent the buildup of pathogens and parasites.

What Type of Bugs Live in an Insect Hotel?

Image credit: Geoffrey Baumbach, Unsplash

Insect hotels can attract a variety of insects, each contributing uniquely to the garden ecosystem. Some of the common residents include:

Solitary Bees: Species like mason bees and leafcutter bees are frequent guests. They use the hotel’s tubes and holes to lay their eggs.
Solitary Wasps: These solitary predators are extremely docile and have very little interest in stinging humans, unlike the more aggressive, nest-building social wasps.
Ladybugs: Ladybug beetles are voracious predators of aphids and other small pests, making them valuable allies in pest control.
Lacewings: Lacewing eat a variety of garden insect pests, including aphids.
Spiders: While not insects, spiders often take up residence in insect hotels. Spiders are a wonderful, welcome addition to the garden because they eat so many different kinds of insects - mostly the unwanted ones!

Want to learn more about the bugs living in your insect hotel? Flip through a visual field guide, like the photo-packed Garden Insects of North America: The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs (Princeton Field Guides).

To Sum it Up…

Insect hotels are beneficial to your garden and landscape, only when they are properly maintained!
If cleaning and inspecting an insect hotel is not your jam, that’s ok. There are other ways to support insect populations. Plant more pollinator favorites in your garden, like mountain mint (Pycnanthemum species), or create garden filled with butterfly host plants and nectar plants.
To give your hotel inhabitants the best chance to thrive, eliminate or reduce your use of chemicals in the landscape. Learn to live with a few holes in the leaves of your plants and some clover or dandelions in the lawn. Visit the Xerxes Society’s website and educate yourself about pollinator-safe gardening. Avoiding chemicals in your yard is beneficial for everyone's health - insect hotel residents, kids playing outside, pets relaxing on the grass, and anyone who enjoy walking barefoot on the lawn.