THE tenants to expect - click each bug to learn more
THE most common guests
Different species of bees can use many areas in the Bug Hotel: Some prefer empty large tubes, while others prefer to nest in small holes.
You can tell if bees have moved in by looking at the holes in the Bug Hotel: If they are closed with clay, small stones or wax, the baby brood of a wild bee is probably behind it.
Finding hoverflies or lacewings in the hotel is a success! These small bugs are beneficial insects for us - their larvae feed mainly on aphids. Lacewings are primarily crepuscular and hide under foliage and leaves during the day. However, they also love to hide in Bug Hotels!
Bug Hotels are loved by ladybugs!
Unlike most insect species, the Bug Hotel is not a breeding place for ladybugs (they lay eggs on plants) but rather as a place of shelter in bad weather.
The Polite guests
These tenants usually do no harm to their neighbours when moving into the Bug Hotel; Sometimes they even help clean!
Woodlice are the quiet achievers of the bug hotel world, working to manage decomposition with style. They dine on dead plant material, recycling it into rich nutrients that improve soil health.
By hosting woodlice, your bug hotel gains a dedicated and low-key team of eco-friendly custodians.
Butterflies are among the few insects that may use the Bug Hotels for hibernation.
Although not as common as other insects, some butterflies overwinter as adults and may seek shelter in Bug Hotels.
A Hotel filled with dried grass, wood, bark and chippings makes an ideal spot for butterflies to overwinter.
Spiders are usually polite guests, while also being a vital part of the garden ecosystem, catching and eating all sorts of unfavorable pests!
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THE Questionable Guests
These tenants are beneficial to biodiversity but can be destructive to neighbours if not managed correctly.
With a size of only 5-10 mm, ichneumon wasps are among the smallest bugs in the hotel. Of the more than 3300 different ichneumon wasp species, many use bug hotels for shelter or overwintering.
These wasps are useful because they can be used for pest control: The female wasps lay their eggs in other insects or their eggs/larvae. Once they hatch, they eat their host, killing it.
You can find earwigs in many Bug Hotels.
They are extremely useful because they have an appetite for aphids and the eggs of many other pests. However, earwigs are also pollen thieves. Therefore, if bees are also to live in the hotel, it is recommended to place a separate bug hotel for earwigs in another place in the garden. Wild bees build up pollen stocks for their brood, which the earwigs will eat; starving the bees.
Beetles bring unbeatable benefits to any bug hotel, balancing ecosystems and tackling pests with precision. Industrious guests keep pest populations in check and enhance soil health, ensuring your hotel is a success.
Ants are usually only a threat to weak hives and are an occasional nuisance to mason and leafcutter bees. Damage is usually restricted to newly laid, exposed bee eggs or loose cocoons
When it comes to bug hotels, centipedes might just be the most polarizing guests. These "hundred-leggers" can play the role of both pest controller and unwanted intruder, depending on their behavior and population. Much like managing a bustling hotel, striking the right balance with centipedes can mean the difference between a five-star ecological stay and a regrettable infestation.
the BaDly Behaved guests
These tenants are serious trouble!
Parasitism happens when kleptoparasites lay their eggs in tubes or cells occupied by our beneficial bug larvae.
The parasitic larvae hatches first and consumes the stored pollen; killing the beneifical larvae inside.
Mites weaken the all Bug Hotels, spread numerous diseases and hinder brood development. If management strategies are not applied all your hotel tenants will die!
Bug HoTel Tenants IN ACTION
