Insect Hotel

We are always looking for new ways to attract beneficial insects into the garden so when we spotted an old firework waiting to be chucked in the bin, we jumped at the chance to recycle it into a luxury insect summer residence. The firework was a multiple roman candle type when it was new but now it is, in essence, a group of thick empty cardboard tubes bound together with a thin paper wrapping. All it needed was something to protect it from the worst of the British weather and some 'stuffing' to attract the guests.

Last year we grew spuds in black plastic sacks and, as I rarely throw anything away, we still had the sacks kicking around the veg patch. One of these was perfect for wrapping around the cardboard to offer it some protection.




I started to stuff dried grass and twigs into some of the openings to give the prospective guests something to nestle into. I'm sure I have some straw somewhere that, once I find it, I will use to furnish the remaining rooms. For now though, like all good hotels, it's open for business, despite the work in progress.