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Build a bug hotel

Build a bug hotel
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Build a safe, wildlife-friendly bug hotel using wood, sticks, leaves, and hollow stems to attract beneficial insects while learning about habitats.

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Step-by-step guide to build a bug hotel

What you need
Adult supervision required, cardboard tubes (toilet paper rolls), drill with 3mm–8mm drill bits, dry leaves, hammer, nails, pine cones, sandpaper, scrap wood or a small wooden box, small plank for a sloping roof, sticks and hollow plant stems, twine

Step 1

Gather all the materials and bring them to a flat workspace outside.

Step 2

Choose a sheltered sunny spot about 20–50 cm off the ground near flowers or shrubs.

Step 3

Build a simple box frame from the scrap wood by nailing the sides together to make compartments.

Step 4

Sand any rough edges and smooth the front surfaces where insects will enter.

Step 5

With adult help drill several holes in a solid wood block using 3mm–8mm bits about 6–8 cm deep and angle them slightly upward.

Step 6

Cut the hollow stems and cardboard tubes into 10–12 cm lengths using adult help if needed.

Step 7

Pack the drilled holes and one compartment tightly with the cut hollow stems and tubes so they don't fall out.

Step 8

Make tight bundles of sticks and pine cones and tie each bundle with twine.

Step 9

Fill other compartments tightly with dry leaves and the tied stick bundles to create different hiding places.

Step 10

Attach the small plank as a sloping roof to the top of the box and secure it with nails so rain runs off.

Step 11

Secure the finished bug hotel in your chosen spot by fastening it to a post or stacking bricks so it won’t tip over.

Step 12

Check the hotel once a month and replace any wet or rotten fill to keep it safe for bugs.

Step 13

Take a photo and share your finished bug hotel on DIY.org so other kids can see your wildlife-friendly creation.

Final steps

You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!

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Help!?

If I can't find hollow stems or cardboard tubes, what can I use instead?

If hollow stems or cardboard tubes are unavailable, substitute clean bamboo canes, rolled corrugated cardboard, or paper drinking straws cut to 10–12 cm and pack them into a compartment as instructed so they don't fall out.

What should I do if the stems or tubes keep falling out or the hotel tips over?

If stems or tubes fall out, pack them more tightly and secure them with a dab of non-toxic wood glue or a piece of wire mesh, and if the hotel tips, fasten it to a post or stack bricks as instructed to keep it stable.

How can I adapt this bug hotel build for different ages?

For younger kids have an adult build the box frame and drill the 3–8 mm holes while they fill compartments and tie stick bundles, and for older children let them sand edges, cut stems and tubes to 10–12 cm, and nail the roof with supervision.

How can we personalize or extend the bug hotel after it's built?

Personalize and extend it by painting the exterior with non-toxic paint, adding labeled compartments filled with different materials like pine cones or dry leaves, installing a small observation window or camera, and following the monthly check-and-replace routine before sharing a photo on DIY.org.

Watch videos on how to build a bug hotel

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How to build a bug hotel: the right way!

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Facts about wildlife gardening for kids

♻️ Using dead wood and plant stems not only shelters insects but also recycles garden waste into food for soil life.

🐝 About three quarters of the world’s flowering plants need animal pollinators, and many of those pollinators are insects.

🌿 Different materials (hollow stems, bark, dry leaves, wood) create microhabitats—some insects like dry sunny tubes while others prefer damp crevices.

🏨 Insect hotels are real and often attract solitary bees, beetles, lacewings, and ladybugs that help gardens thrive.

🔧 Placing a bug hotel 1–2 meters above the ground, tilted slightly south or southeast, gives it warmth and protection from heavy rain.

How do I build a safe wildlife-friendly bug hotel?

Start by choosing a dry, partly shaded spot near plants. Build a sturdy frame from an old crate, untreated wood, or a stack of logs. Fill sections with hollow stems, bamboo, drilled wood blocks, pine cones, dry leaves, straw and small twigs. Pack materials tightly so they won’t fall out, add a sloped roof for rain protection, and place the hotel 20–50 cm off the ground. Leave it undisturbed so insects can settle in.

What materials do I need to build a bug hotel?

Gather a wooden frame (crate, pallet or log), untreated wood blocks, bamboo or hollow stems, pine cones, dry leaves, straw, small twigs, bark, and stones. You’ll also need basic tools: drill (for holes), saw, hammer and nails or screws, gardening gloves, and optional chicken wire to hold loose material. Avoid pressure-treated wood, pesticides, or synthetic insulation. Use natural, dry materials to create varied hiding spaces for different insects.

What ages is building a bug hotel suitable for?

This activity suits a wide range: preschoolers (3–5) can collect and sort materials and stuff tubes; early elementary children (6–8) can help assemble and pack sections with supervision; older kids (9–14) can measure, drill and build with adult guidance. Teenagers can lead design and maintenance. Always supervise younger children around tools, and provide gloves and safety goggles when sawing or hammering.

What are the benefits of making a bug hotel and are there safety tips?

Bug hotels teach habitat concepts, promote biodiversity by sheltering pollinators and predators (ladybugs, lacewings), and encourage observation and responsibility. They also improve garden health by attracting beneficial insects. Safety tips: use gloves when handling sharp materials, avoid treated wood or pesticides nearby, check the hotel for stinging insects before close inspection, secure loose pieces to prevent collapse, and maintain it annually to remove mold or rot.
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