Insect houses

In the garden centre's I have seen homes for ladybirds, butterflies, bees etc.

Does anyone have any of these in their garden and do they actually get used?

Jo.

Insect Houses

Reply from Georgie

I've often wondered about this too, Jo. I have to say that they seem rather expensive to me. Last year I read a good article in a gardening magazine and I made my own for next to nothing. One involved stuffing dry grass into an up turned flower pot and the other making a bundle of cut old bamboo canes of varying thicknesses stuffed into a flower pot.

As for whether they get used I don't know. Perhaps others here can throw some light on this?

Georgie

Insect Houses

Reply from Joanne 9919

Yes, I've wondered about making my own too Georgie. They do seem a tad too expensive in the garden centres.

I read an article recently about placing some rotting wood in the ground and all the insects this would attract.

The ladybird houses I have seen only seem to be a piece of wood with holes drilled into it, but I don't have any suitable pieces of wood to make one myself.

I'd really like to know if the insects do actually use them.

Jo.

Insect houses

Reply from David Sewell

Funnily enough I was looking at some sort of 'butterfly house' over the weekend and wondering the same thing. Perhaps some trials are in order!
David

How would a trial work?

Reply from Georgie

Hi David

I'm attracted to the idea of a trial but I'm at a loss to know how this might work in practice because it's not like growing plants in different mediums is it?

Do you have some ideas up your sleeve or should one of us post something for discussion at the next expert forum?

Gerogie

Re: Insect houses

Reply from

Hello Joanne
My insect house for solitary bees definitely works - if you look at my community profile - there is a picture of a leaf-cutter bee bringing a disc cut from a leaf to use for plugging the nest. I recommend one of these insect houses - it has given me great pleasure that the solitary bees find it useful. Also, Toby Buckland mentioned leaf-cutter bees on Gardeners World a couple of weeks ago, when he was talking about their bee border. The Gardeners World team built lots of little insect houses on poles and put them in the bee border and you could see where the little holes in the ends of the bamboo were plugged by the bees leaf discs.
Sangeeta Lyons

Click image to enlarge

Re: Re: Insect houses

Reply from Barry Tabor

Yes, Sangeeta, you can pay a lot for little 'houses' or make them like on that programme. For us it would be the difference between a suite at the Savoy or the B&B on the corner of the street. To our guests, there seems to be no real difference. As long as it's in the right place, the surroundings provide forage and it's not leaky, they are not fussy. We have one like the one in your photo (about £20) and another made of short lengths of cane tied in a bundle and tied to a fence. Cost NIL. They both get used. Fascinating little creatures, aren't they? Just keep them away from roses intended for the showbench. .......

Barry