Build an insect hotel — a nesting aid, not décor

An Insect hotel is one of the most rewarding small permaculture measures — when it's built right. It gives wild bees, solitary wasps and Beneficials a place to nest, and they thank you for it by pollinating your beds and thinning out pests. The problem: most shop-bought "hotels" from the DIY store are décor. Pine cones, glass wool and brightly painted little sticks look nice, but not a single animal moves in.

The good news: a working insect hotel is simpler and cheaper than a decorative one. All you need are the right materials — and a bit of knowledge about what matters to wild bees.

What actually works

• Hardwood blocks with clean drill holes. Beech, oak, ash — not softwood (it splinters and tears). Holes 0.08 in to 0.31 in in diameter, across the grain (otherwise the wood tears and cracks form), 3.1 in–3.9 in deep, closed at the back. Smooth inside the holes — frayed edges injure the wings, and then the hole is avoided.
• Hollow plant stems. Reed and bamboo, cut cleanly just behind a node (closed at the back), the cut edges smooth. Tied into bundles, horizontal.
• Pithy stems. Bramble, raspberry or elder canes set up vertically — certain wild bees gnaw their own way into the soft pith.
• Clay / straw-clay. A firm block of clay with a few pre-drilled holes — for species that nest in clayey vertical banks.
• Deadwood & bark. Crumbling branch pieces for beetles and overwintering Lacewings. A Deadwood pile nearby works wonders.

What you can skip

• Pine/fir cones, loose straw, wood wool: pure looks, no nesting site.
• Glass tubes & perspex: condensation → mould → dead brood.
• Soft softwoods drilled along the grain: they split, fray and get avoided.
• Holes too large (> 0.39 in): stay empty — there are hardly any native species for them.
• Perforated bricks with coarse holes: diameter is wrong, surface too rough.

The right location matters too

Even the best hotel stays empty in the wrong place. Wild bees are warmth-loving and hungry for sun:

• Full sun, facing south to south-east — the morning sun wakes the animals.
• Sheltered from rain — under an eave or with its own overhanging roof. Moisture is killer number one.
• Mounted firmly and steady — not swinging from a branch, but stable on a wall or post, 1.6 ft–6.6 ft high.
• With food nearby. A hotel without flowers is a hotel without a restaurant. A herb spiral, flowering green manure and native perennials within a few metres make the difference.

The bigger truth: structure beats hotel

An insect hotel is a nice way in — but the most effective protection for beneficial insects is a structurally rich garden. Open sandy patches (over 70 % of wild bees nest in the ground!), a Stone pile, a Deadwood pile, perennials left standing over winter and a pond together bring more life than any hotel on its own. The hotel makes the wild bees visible — the real work is done by the diversity around it.

In the Garden Planner the insect hotel, deadwood pile and stone pile are their own elements — they are placed automatically at the natural wild edge (zone 4–5), with flowering areas within reach.