Designing and building a bug hotel in your garden can not only be a fun hobby, but it can be incredibly rewarding too. A bug hotel is eco-friendly and a great way to get up close with insects and wildlife.
The benefits of creating a bug shelter in your garden
There are so many advantages to creating a shelter or habitat to attract bugs and wildlife in your garden space:
- It benefits your local ecosystem by providing a safe hideaway for animals
- It makes use of garden waste such as wood, straw and dried grass
- It can support pest control and dismiss the need for chemical solutions
- It can attract bees, beetles and butterflies that can pollinate your plants
- It can broaden your understanding of nature – and teach children to not be afraid of creepy crawlies
80% of British plant species, including many crops, make use of insects to transfer pollen between flowers producing seeds and fruits. Without their pollinating insects, these plants would reproduce less well, or not at all.
– Insect Pollination, UK Parliament [Source]
So what are you waiting for? Read on to learn how to create a haven for bugs this autumn.
Step One: Researching and planning

Firstly, decide what type of insects you’d like to attract and plan the type of shelter accordingly. A large bug hotel can home all types of insects, including bees, ladybugs, bumblebees, lacewings, woodlice and spiders. It all depends on what materials you use.
Next, choose a location for your shelter. As a general rule of thumb, the location should reflect the natural habitat of the bugs you’d like to attract. Think sunny spots surrounded by nectar-rich flowers for butterflies, or cool and damp conditions for creepy crawlies. Either way, it should be level and firm ground.
Step Two: Gathering materials and tools
Once you’ve decided what type of bug hotel you’d like to build – and where – it’s time to start gathering everything you need:
Materials:
- Wooden pallets, logs, or scrap wood
- Bamboo canes or reeds
- Pinecones, twigs, and leaves
- Old bricks or clay pots
- Roofing materials (such as old tiles or roofing shingles)
Tools:
- Saw
- Hammer and nails
- Screwdriver and screws
- Drill
- Sandpaper
- Wire or twine

Step Three: Designing and building
Next is the fun part: actually building your bug hotel. The key is to create a structure that includes a variety of habitats for different insects, but you can also start off small and add different sections as you get more confident.

The Base
There are a few different options you can choose for your base, depending on how large you’d like your shelter to be.
For a more basic habitat, simply use a sturdy wooden frame that’s around a meter high. If you plan to expand or add to your shelter as time goes on, use wooden palettes that can be stacked as you go. Simply place bricks directly on the ground in each corner and layer the palettes on top. Three to four palettes are a good starting point!
Compartments
Now it’s time to fill in the spaces, either within the palette’s gaps or by using old wood and bricks to divide up the frame.
Here are some ideas for different compartments:
- Loose bark and deadwood for spiders, woodlice, beetles and centipedes
- Dry leaves, sticks and straw for ladybirds and other beetles
- Corrugated cardboard for lacewings
- Small tubes (bamboo, reeds, drilled logs) for bees
- Stones or tiles with larger holes for frogs and toads
Be sure to assemble your shelter carefully and ensure there are no sharp edges or exposed nails that could harm potential wildlife.
If you want to start off small, try building floor by floor. Experiment with the first floor as one compartment and observe it for a few weeks to see what does and doesn’t work.
Then, once you’re sure it’s attracting animals, you can build another floor or section.
The final touches
Once you’re happy with all your compartments, it’s time to add the roof. A sloping roof made from old tiles or even a piece of driftwood is a great way to protect the hotel from rain. You could even add some rubble or soil to encourage some plant growth on top. If you like, you can decorate your hotel by painting it with nontoxic paint or adding a sign outside.
Finally, sprinkle some wildflower seeds around the hotel so that butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects have some food when they arrive.
Be sure to observe – and maintain – your hotel. Regular maintenance may include cleaning out old nests or replacing damaged or rotting materials.
