Bug hotel (shop-bought)
Solitary bees, ladybirds, lacewings and more (hopefully)
Shop-bought wooden bug hotel with a pitched roof, fixed to the fence. Compartments:
• Wood shavings behind mesh (ladybirds, lacewings)
• Bamboo tubes (solitary bees)
• Drilled block and drilled cylinders (solitary bees)
• Slotted box (sold as a butterfly shelter; rarely used by butterflies, but other insects may move in)
What to look for: holes sealed with mud mean mason bees, neat leaf plugs mean leafcutter bees. Leave it alone over winter, as anything inside will be hibernating.
- Common name
- Bug hotel (shop-bought)
- Section
- Habitats
- Spot
- Garden
- Soil
- No soil, just bug bedding
- From
- A local independent garden centre, 2026
- Age
- Since spring 2026
- Next repot
- No repotting, but the rooms get a refresh when the guests move out in spring
- Edible
- ❌ No: Only for the birds, if the guests are careless.
- Garden-centre price
- about £10
Care & updates
- Observation
Occupancy unknown. Lots of cobwebs across the bamboo tubes, so spiders have moved in at least. One of the small tubes near the bottom looks like it may have a plug, which could mean a solitary bee has laid in it; worth a closer look.