Saturday, March 25

Bug hotel or more accurately bug pyramid,

I've wanted to make a bug hotel for a while but I was trapped in the idea that I needed to make one from a pallet. I didn't have a pallet and so consequently no bug hotel.

Over the last few weeks we have been busily tidying the plot. Part of this has involved moving things around and carrying out long overdue projects. During this activity I was struck by sudden inspiration.

When we took over the plot  - about thirty years ago - we inherited a pile of sections of clay cylinders. I guess a previous allotmenteer had used them to grow prize winning leeks, carrots or parsnips. As we are content with edible rather than prize winning, the said clay cylinders have mainly been used to hold down, netting etc.

This was about to change as in my mind's eye was a more creative role for them.

Four of the cylinders were placed in a line and some moss covered concrete blocks were arranged alongside three sides. This was to keep the cylinders in position.

On top of the four cylinders were placed three more, then above that layer another two and a final one placed on top to form a pyramid.
I filled each cylinder with a different type of bedding material to try and encourage a diverse range of inhabitants.

Wood chippings were spread around the base with some being pushed inside the bottom cylinders. I'm hoping that the lower holes will provide shelter for the many frogs and toads that we come across on the plot. There's maybe even room for a hedgehog.
Then I found a few broken bricks of the type that have holes in and used these to 'build' a wall at the back of the pyramid. The wall should provide another type of habitat.
All the materials were either found on the plot or in the case of the egg boxes, shredded paper and dry magnolia leaves brought from home. The wood chippings are delivered courtesy of the council parks department.
Now all we need at the hotel are some guests to book in.

If you are interested I have put together a video showing the construction. It's ten minutes long.

Martyn has also fulfilled a a long time intention and created a mini pond using a rubber bin lid that was also on the plot. 
It holds a surprising amount of water. The large stoe placed in the middle is totally submerged.

Martyn posted about this on his blog here where you will also find a video of his wildlife project. 


Footnote
If you like watching our videos, Martyn and I have started a vlog - Two Gardeners - One Video Diary. of all the videos taken. We have started it by posting all the garden videos taken in 2017, some of which don't actually make it onto our blogs. Here we are posting our garden related videos. Martyn posts the steam train (oops steam locomotive) videos on his blog Steam Days

32 comments:

  1. I can see where they would be useful as holding things in place. Now, I am sure in their new, repurposed life they will be most welcome by all and sundry bugs and critters!

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  2. Ingenious idea! I'm hoping to get some sort of buggy setup going at some point too - this is some good inspiration.

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    1. It's been a long time coming, Margaret.

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  3. Recycling at it's best. Lucky Bugs ! This will last a lot longer than the usual wooden Bug Hotel.

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    1. I just hope it attracts some residents, Marion,

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  4. Definitely 5 stars. Great to see you in action Sue :)

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    1. There was no way that I could get away with just hands shots, Jessica.

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  5. Absolutely brilliant, well done you. And I love that you made it from things you had lying around, in the true allotmenting spirit. I still haven't got round to making one, I really should though. Love the pond as well, no doubt it will be a magnet for wildlife. I just received my dahlia seeds for a bee survey being done by various charities including (I think) the RHS. Are you doing it? I have to grow three plants of each of three colour dahlias and then record how many bees on each one once a month. I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes. Need to grow decent plants first though!

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    1. Sounds like an interesting experiment, CJ but it's the first that I have heard about it.

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  6. That is fabulous! Right up my alley. It must be in the air to do projects that have been on the brain for awhile. I made a bug house this spring too.

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    1. Let's hope that we both have tenants, Bonnie

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  7. You are endlessly imaginative Sue.
    I have had several piles of bricks strewn over my veg plot having previously used them to prop up my environmesh. Now I have realised that the environmesh is lifted by the plants themselves I have parked all the bricks in (for me) a neat pile.
    It was instructive to find such a rich array of slugs, snails, wood lice and millipedes and also loads of beneficial brown and orange centipedes and lovely shiny black beetles.
    I wonder how many will find their new home?

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    1. If you spread the bricks to make gaps and filled with sticks etc you would have a bug hotel. Roger. When is your garden open this year?

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  8. Lucky insects and frogs, Sue. I liked your 'hotel' as well. Watching video I thought you're tired creating it, the cylinders, concrete blocks, bricks are too heavy things.

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    1. I'm made of sturdy stuff, Nadezda :-)

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  9. A most commendable symmetry, Sue! Together with the pond those microorganisms (and not so micro organisms) will really get a boost from your efforts!

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    1. I hope so Mal - we are now thinking of adding a seed feeder but will that attract birds to our plants or tempt them away?

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  10. I just loved your bug hotel, very creative, useful and lovely to look at! That pond will be great for wildlife too, a little water goes a long way!I must go and check out your vlog....how exciting!xxx

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  11. Excellent upcycling and bug hotel.Good luck with your first bookings ;)

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  12. That's definitely a des res Sue and some creative thinking on your part. Like you it's a project that I've been considering from some time and my thoughts have also been centred round pallets. I'm now wandering what we may have lying around :)

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    1. It's a case of thinking outside of the box or pallet, Anna

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  13. That's great, Sue. We had loads of things left on our allotment when we took it on and have used some of them to make a bug hotel. It's a fun thing to do, looks good and benefits the wildlife too

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  14. Hello. Good idea to build shelters. I´ll do it in my garden.
    Greetings from Galicia.

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    1. Hello, Tania. I'm hoping plenty of garden friendly wildlife will move in.

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  15. Fantastic idea! I really need to get myself together and build one for my garden, smaller one though :)

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    1. It took us a long time to get around to actually making one, Aga.

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