The Badge Archive

Make a Bug Hotel

Activity Description: Scout builds and decorates a bug hotel to give helpful insects a safe place to rest and hide.

Info Needed: Scout will learn that different bugs use different materials for shelter. Bug hotels help protect pollinators and pest-eating insects by offering safe places to live.

Items Needed:

  • Small wooden box, crate, or sturdy container
  • Natural materials like pinecones, bark, sticks, straw, and leaves
  • Paper tubes, cardboard rolls, or drilled wood blocks
  • Glue, tape, or string
  • (Optional) Paint or markers for decorating
  • (Optional) Mesh or screen to hold materials in place
  • (Optional) Labels or signs to show what bugs might use each part

Instructions (Estimated Total Time: 30–45 min):

  1. Choose and prepare a container for the bug hotel. (5–10 min)
    • Use a box, crate, or wood frame.
    • Make sure it is clean and sturdy.
  2. Fill the container with natural and recycled materials. (10–15 min)
    • Pack items tightly in sections or layers.
    • Include a mix of textures and shapes.
  3. Decorate the outside of the bug hotel. (5–10 min)
    • Use paint, markers, or signs.
    • (Optional) Add labels for different bug types.
  4. Place the bug hotel in a safe outdoor spot. (5–10 min)
    • Choose a dry, shady area near plants or trees.
    • (Optional) Use mesh or screen to keep materials from falling out.

About Bug Hotels

A bug hotel, also called an insect hotel, is a structure meant to attract and shelter many types of beneficial insects, not just bees. These can include:

  • Ladybugs (which eat garden pests)
  • Lacewings
  • Butterflies
  • Beetles
  • Spiders
  • Solitary bees

A bee hotel is a specific type of bug hotel designed to support solitary bees, like mason bees or leafcutter bees. These bees don’t live in hives like honeybees. They nest in small holes or tubes. Bee hotels usually feature tightly packed bamboo tubes, drilled wood blocks, or paper straws that mimic natural nesting sites.

Bug hotels often have multiple sections made from different materials (like bark, pinecones, straw, and hollow stems) to suit the nesting needs of various insects. So, a bee hotel is a type of bug hotel, but a bug hotel is designed to welcome a wider range of insect guests.

Resources:

Tia Kennard