Bee Hotel

Solitary bees and other beneficial insects need our help, not just on an international level but in every domestic garden, courtyard and balcony. Creating little homes for insects to lay their eggs in is a really easy way to help the insect population, and at the same time bring diversity, wildlife and plant propagation to your outdoor spaces.

This book contains easy-to-follow instructions on making every kind of bug hotel, from the unbelievably simple stop-over hostel, to quite elaborate and ornamental luxury hotels. Start small and scatter your garden with drill holes in the right kind of wood, bamboo or reed tunnels in the correct places, and make screw holes available in masonry or garden furniture. Move on to more ambitious structures, like a planter filled with mud or shelving battons screwed into a wall, and then try one of the decorative hotels that will really help to makeyour backyard start buzzing.

The book is divided into chapters featuring hotels for solitary bugs, hotels for large families, and hotels for other beneficial bugs such as ladybirds, green lacewings and butterflies. The projects range from Rustic Tree House and Mud Hut, to Bumblebee Castle and Earwig Paradise. Expert help and advice is also given on how to populate your houses and grow the right plants to encourage visitors and residents. Containing everything you need for making your outdoor space a happy haven for the next generation of beneficial bees and bugs this is the perfect book for anyone concerned about protecting their local insects.

Author: Dr Melanie von Orlow was born in Germany, and studied biochemistry and biology in Berlin. She now works as a freelance biologist in Berlin, capturing bee swarms and providing relocation and advisory services. She maintains a small honey farm in north Berlin where she runs courses for the next generation of beekeepers.