Self-Made Insect Hotel

Hi there :) Since you found my Instructables, you gotta be interested in building an insect hotel, which is amazing!! I hope you like my design and I can inspire you to build on yourself.

For this activity, you'll need a box of any size you wish, some different fillings (I'll talk more about this in Step 2), an electronic cutter, a handsaw, a wood drill, a mini round file and wood glue.

And of course, a camera to keep track of your process and share with me and your friends ;)

And don't be surprised, the gap left free is intended and part of the creative expression.

Step 1: Find a Suitable Box

At best reuse a box you already have at home or use any materials that you may find to build a box yourself. That is for sure better than buying a new box from the store, even if what you have is somehow ugly... we're here to make it beautiful :) The insects don't care and the environment will thank you.

You can see the dimensions of my box in the picture above.

Step 2: Chose the Right Fillings

For this insect hotel I decided to use bamboo sticks and tree trunks.

1. First, I cut the bamboo stick into 7cm long pieces (to fit the height of the box) using an electronic cutter (but you can also do it by hand). Every piece varies in diameter, but as reference the smallest is 4mm and the largest is 19mm.

2. Then, I chose suitable wood pieces from home (if you don't have any you can buy some or use other fillings). I also cut them using a handsaw so that their height would be 7cm as well.

3. Next, I took a wood drill to create holes of different sizes by using three different bit sizes: 5mm, 6mm and 6.5mm.

Step 3: Prepare Your "ingredients"

Whatever you choose to use for your insect hotel make sure it is neat before glueing it into the box. The pieces shouldn't have any sharp edges to avoid injuring the insects (especially their wings).

At best use a mini round file for any holes. Give this some time and be careful and consistent.

Step 4: Place Them Into the Box

Now, glue the bamboo sticks and the tree trunks into your box using the wood glue; it'll depend on the size of your box how many fillings you need. I did it stepwise (glued like 5-10 pieces and then waited for it to be tight before continuing).

You can do it similarly to mine or get creative!

Step 5: Put It in Your Garden

Once it is finished, place it on your balcony, in your garden, in a public garden or in a forest. I'm sure you'll find the perfect place.

Make sure that it isn't on the floor to keep ants away. Also if possible put it somewhere safe and at best in the shadow - insects prefer this from a full-sun spot.