That's probably what you ask when you hear such a combination, and you will be even more surprised if you find out that "insect houses" and "insect hotels" are not only children's fun, but adults do it too. Why are such houses needed on the site?
This "invention" is now especially popular with European gardeners: such "birdhouses", only not for birds, but for insects, are made as full-fledged art objects and decorate the garden by themselves. In addition, the insect "hotels" shown in these pictures are too high above the ground. In our climate, in order for insects to settle in rooms and overwinter with the onset of cold weather, it is necessary that it be covered under a layer of snow.
You probably know that in addition to being annoying, insects (not all, but there are many) help to get rid of garden pests. If everything is clear with bees, wasps and bumblebees - who, if not them, is doing all this gigantic work of pollination of flowers? - then the six other workers and fighters of the garden look like this:
Such a neighborhood, as we can see, will be very desirable - why not invite them to spend the winter safely, so that in the spring they rush with renewed vigor into battle with garden pests?
The basic principles of creating a house for insects are extremely simple - even easier than making a birdhouse.
1) it is necessary to create protection from wind, moisture and, in fact, the cold - the recesses that you will drill in the wood, and the width of the dwelling itself should be deep enough so as not to freeze in winter;
2) when creating a house, you should not use coniferous wood and synthetic materials, as well as fiberboard, chipboard - materials obtained by pressing sawdust and glue;
3) if the house provides "rooms" with filler, do not use foliage: mold and other harmful fungi can settle on it, which the hotel residents will spread throughout the site;
4) all elements must be securely fixed: this way you will strengthen the structure and create additional protection from birds, which will gladly feast on the inhabitants of the "nest".
As elements, branches, bricks with pores and voids, bark, straw or hay, moss, hollow tubes of dry plants, pebbles, ceramics, wood logs, branches and other similar things are suitable.
Can pests, in addition to beneficial insects, settle in the house? It is unlikely: how will they get along with their natural enemies?
Not so long ago, we wrote a note about which insects are not harmful, but, on the contrary, help summer residents, destroying their fellows, voracious to someone else's harvest (you can find it).
You can attract beneficial insects to the garden, first of all, by planting fragrant plants. But in order for as many of them as possible to decide to stay in your garden, it is necessary to approach the issue more carefully and take care of housing for our smaller brothers.
In much the same way as we build birdhouses and titmouses, you can also build houses for beneficial insects. However, they will look, of course, somewhat different.
It is no secret that in many European countries beneficial insects are specially bred and sold via the Internet and ordinary stores to summer residents. This direction is very popular among those who care about ecology and strive for everything natural.
And of course, such a demand gives rise to proposals for housing for new settlers. Everything to make them comfortable and convenient.
In our country, neither insects nor houses for them are sold yet (at least, we have not met with such). But you can take care of comfortable conditions for little helpers yourself. And it's not difficult at all. And now it is especially important, because autumn and winter are just around the corner, when insects need a reliable shelter more than ever.
Most beneficial insects choose a shelter from fallen leaves, bark, old boards piled up in a heap as a wintering place ... Use this for a house. Various sticks and twigs, straw are also perfect.
Shelters can be folded in piles in the garden, or they can be decorated decoratively by putting them in boxes and boxes and placing them in the garden.
For even more interesting ideas for building houses for ladybirds, lacewings and ground beetles - see our video clip:
Fighting pests of gardens and vegetable gardens, we often forget about and attracting them to our plots.
In Europe, special houses are popular - shelters for insects, which can be purchased, but making them yourself will not be difficult and costly.
Old boards, unnecessary bricks, pieces of roofing tiles and roofing material, bundles of straw and rope, bamboo tubes, chips, pebbles and much more - all this will serve as material for the house. A beautifully folded woodpile is also suitable for wintering many beneficial insects.
If you have imagination and some knowledge about their habits, you can decorate the garden and purchase its defenders.
What kind of insects should be "tamed"?
Both larvae and adults are voracious predators, eating mainly aphids, whiteflies,. Even a small number of bugs can provide significant benefits in garden pest control. In many countries, ladybirds are bred for the purpose of selling to gardeners.
Golden-eyed, hoverflies - their larvae deserve no less attention and protection from our side, since they are also aphid exterminators.
In two weeks, a lacewing larva can destroy up to 500 aphids!
You can lure ladybirds and lacewings into your garden by planting plants such as angelica, dill, or leaving yarrow and dandelion in bloom. The red elderberry, on which the aphid loves to live so much, will help preserve the larvae of ladybirds, lacewings, and hoverflies. And forget about using pesticides in your garden!
If there is little food, adult insects can disperse and leave places that are not rich in food. Therefore, special food is sprayed inside the house and on the plants for feeding.
Artificial food "Wheast" (whey-whey, yeast-yeast) is a dry powder that contains nutrients for the reproduction and growth of beneficial insects. Diluted with sugar and water (1: 1). There are also special pheromone-based baits.
Those baits that are used to feed bees can also be used by amateur gardeners.
Ladybugs can winter in secluded places among dense vegetation, fallen leaves, under dry bark of trees or indoors, sheds. They often fly into houses, nest between doors, in the folds of curtains, window frames. Adult lacewings can also hibernate in sheltered areas, but unfortunately, few survive until spring.
You can improve the biosecurity of the garden by installing houses that will help ladybirds and lacewings to survive the winter.
These pretty tower houses can be bought or made from the trunk of birch, oak and other similar hardwoods with intact bark. The holes are drilled at a slight upward angle in order to increase the number of separate "rooms" for residents. The roof can be removed for inspection and cleaning. It is better to install such a house in a protected, warm place in a garden bed, in a clearing among flowers. Can be placed in the garden at any time, preferably before aphid breeding.
The first house has slots on the side, the second in the front. Small holes are drilled at the bottom of the houses in case of water ingress.
If we make such a house with our own hands, then inside the box we place corrugated cardboard with cells like large honeycombs. You can insulate such a house with dry leaves, straw, pieces of bark, wood chips, wood shavings. But there should be enough material inside the house so that there are cracks in which beneficial insects can hide and survive the winter.
Don't forget about using Wheast bait.
Such a plastic house-box for ladybugs is resistant to weather changes. It provides convenience and safety for ladybugs. Wintering or surviving the cold nights of early spring will not be a problem for them.
Inside the cabin is the material listed earlier. There are holes at the bottom. A wooden lacewalk house is similar to a ladybug house, but deeper and larger. The survival rate of lacewings during such wintering increases from 5% to 95%, and the reproduction of aphids in the garden is thereby reduced. It is better to place the house in the garden in September.
A large, sparse grate made of inclined slats protects against water droplets. Small holes have been drilled from the bottom of the house. The roof opens on hinges. Place the baited straw inside the house, you can also use the material mentioned earlier. Change the straw at the end of summer every year. Another option for a home for lacewings: a box-house with side and bottom grilles, material - thick waterproof plywood, inside - wheat straw.
House for earwigs
An insect such as an earwig or a two-tailed, although not attractive in appearance, is useful in its essence: their food is the same aphid.
Small clay pots, suspended upside down on shrubs or trees infested with aphids, will serve as both a dwelling and a good bait for earwigs. However, as soon as the aphid is destroyed, the houses should be removed, since young leaves may suffer from the gluttony of the earwig.
Bumblebee nests - wooden pads with drilled holes (beech, pine). It is better to install such houses in a sunny and wind-protected place.
Most importantly, create good shelter and feeding conditions for insects in your garden.
Leave, at first glance, unsightly stumps with cracks, driftwood, here and there places overgrown with wild dense vegetation, wildflowers. It is important to use organic mulch in your garden.
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How to make an insect house in 5 steps
Build an insect house with materials you can use to balance your wide variety of plants and increase biodiversity in your area.
This simple design will help attract beneficial insects to your site, which will provide invaluable aid in pest control.
Construction of a house for insects (photo 1)
1 - Start by collecting natural materials to build an insect shelter: Round wood, brick, straw, tubular stems. Choose from local handy materials that offer more or less large openings to suit different insect preferences.
2 - Make a wooden frame strong enough to support a significant amount of weight. Use resistant woods: oak, larch, chestnut ... Estimate the size of your house in the amount of materials you have. Place the heaviest materials on the bottom. (photo 2)
3 - Provide a waterproof cover structure (slate, for example).
4 - Set the frame in its permanent place before filling (due to weight if the house is large). Raise it 20 cm above the ground to keep it out of moisture (and to prevent your dog from setting up his rookery there). To protect the house from strong winds, drive in stakes around the perimeter and reinforce the house on them, for example.
5 - cut the material to the desired length and fill each opening in the structure (photo 3)
Tip: If you can set up the house out of the wind and sun, you can leave it open on both sides. Otherwise, it is better to close the back side so as not to disturb the insects too much with air currents.
What materials, for what insects? (photo 4)
1. straw or wood: this material will attract lacewings, whose larvae feed on many pests: aphids, powdery mildew, whitefly, mite eggs.
2.bamboo sticks: provide shelter for solitary bees, which pollinate the first flowers of fruit trees, starting in March
3 inverted pots filled with hay: it attracts earwigs that love pests such as aphids (photo 5)
4 planks hidden behind these metal plates: attract insects involved in the decomposition of dead wood
5 drilled logs: These will become a popular shelter for many very beneficial pollinators such as bees and solitary wasps, whose larvae feed on aphids. (photo 6)
6. tubular stems: such as blackthorn, elderberry, provide shelter for hoverflies and other hymenoptera.
7. Brick: prized by solitary bees.
8. Small cells closed from each other: they attract ladybugs that come to spend the winter. Their larvae exterminate many aphids. (photo 7)
Place this cabin close to your garden to ensure that your herbs, vegetables, and flowers are pollinated and help you contribute to the health of your local ecosystem. Just remember that you need to move slowly and not threateningly near the house, and not disturb the alert residents.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EfPmbADIcM 
A hotel for garden insects a few years ago could hardly be called a popular landscape object. Performing both practical and decorative functions, such an artificially created shelter for beneficial insects was not at all familiar to many gardeners. Thanks to the efforts of designers who drew attention to the possibility of developing art objects that serve as a home for the smallest inhabitants of the garden, insect houses have become fashionable. But despite all their unique artistic merit, the main goal is to increase the number of useful fauna in your garden and preserve valuable insects in general.
augerbWhy do we need houses for beneficial insects?
The garden is filled with life by its invisible and largely underestimated inhabitants - birds, insects, various animals. If everyone takes care of attracting birds to the garden, they are fed and provide additional food in the cold season, then insects are often forgotten. But these humble helpful helpers solve many problems in the garden. They not only pollinate plants, but also participate in an invisible fight against pests and even diseases. And beneficial insects should be attracted to the garden no less than butterflies or animals, even if you do not even think about collecting your own honey.
In Europe, and all over the world, they have long been loudly shouting about the problem of preserving bees, whose populations have drastically decreased, and parks, gardens, zoos are invariably equipped with houses for insects. In our country, almost no one has heard of the ecological catastrophe threatened by a reduction in the number of beneficial insects. Meanwhile, everyone can and should fight against disaster. And for this there is only one way - to create special shelters - houses, which are called hotels for beneficial insects or simply hotels for beetles.
Yersinia What is a bug hotel?
A house for beneficial insects, a hotel for beetles, or an insect house is any special building, a small accumulation of materials or a house in which beneficial insects, honey plants and other enemies of garden pests can settle - lacewings, ladybugs, wasters, hoverflies, ground beetles, etc. This is a comprehensive solution to the problem of attracting beneficial insects to your site and preserving their population in nature.
Universal pretty houses, which are actually a warehouse of materials where beneficial insects can equip their homes, are counted among the objects of small architecture, along with garden sculptures or gazebos. They can really turn into a modern, stylish and very original garden decoration. Each such house for insects is unique in its own way and will become a bright individual touch in the design of the garden as a whole.
shastan Such hotels are traditionally given the decorative shape of a house like birdhouses, but of a larger size, filling the internal space with floors of cells in which insects can settle. But it is not necessary to build a house. You can use old boxes, already unnecessary old containers for plants, leftover boards, pallets and just bricks with cavities-holes.
Materials can be folded into a pyramid, laid out in the form of a wall, built original structures, or made a full-fledged frame of a house or cottage. The main thing is that the hotel has a roof and walls, which will serve as reliable protection from wind and precipitation. It all depends on your imagination and time. And, of course, the desire to create not just a functional, but also an attractive object that will become a real decoration of the site.
In fact, even modest bundles of brushwood laid out on purpose can be called a hotel for insects. But usually in designs they go much further, realizing their fantasies and tastes. Most often, hotels are made of wood, but any non-synthetic materials will do (and you need to choose non-coniferous wood).
You can make a full-fledged house with rooms, or you can simply knock down a triangle from the boards, dividing the internal space into sections and sections with partitions. By placing in each zone inside the hotel different materials in which insects usually settle, from porous stones and bricks to brushwood and bark, choosing filler with holes of different sizes, you will create all the conditions for bees and other beneficial insects to master such a house over time. and turned it into a real shelter under the roof.
To protect from birds, sometimes the house is covered with a net on top.
Janet roberts
How to make a house for beneficial insects?
The most important thing in arranging a hotel for beetles is to collect materials in which beneficial insects can equip their shelter. You can also use the same type of filler. But they will be tempted only by a certain type of insect, and not by different inhabitants of the garden. So if you want to build a real hotel, then you should make sure that under one roof and in one structure there are a variety of materials with holes of various shapes and sizes. You can use for garden helpers:
- drilled pieces of wood with vertical or horizontal strokes;
- small remains of boards and logs;
- cones;
- straw;
- large sawdust;
- bark;
- a variety of plant debris, dry inflorescences or vines;
- stones and pebbles;
- spikelets;
- hollow stems (cereals, bamboo, reeds, sunflowers, corn):
- clay bricks with holes, etc.
Clive barker The materials are applied tightly or smeared with clay so that it does not crumble over time. For bees, the main thing is holes in stones and hollow drilled holes or empty stems so that they can safely hide, settle, lay eggs and, easily closing the cache, expect offspring. Absolutely harmless and very useful osmium bees are attracted to the site by thatched roofs, marsh reeds and other tubular hollow stems in which they create nests for themselves. But they will also settle in long drilled holes on a piece of wood. For ladybugs, it is better to spray the materials with sugar syrup. And lacewings adore the cones and dry stalks of a variety of vines.
The hotel for insects is always placed in a place protected from precipitation and always on a warm sunny area. In the shade, beneficial insects will not be tempted by your shelter. In the warmer months, insect houses are more art objects than truly functional bait for beneficial insects. They perform their real functions, first of all, in the cold season. In regions with mild winters, they can be placed at any height. But where winters are harsh, garden hotels for beneficial insects are placed so that in winter they can be covered with snow - at most at a meter height or on the ground. Or they provide an opportunity to rent a hotel and lower it to the ground.