WHY BOTHER HAVING AN INSECT HOTEL IN YOUR GARDEN?

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 Many ecologists and biologists are predicting a massive loss of insect species in the next 50 years, which will have a disastrous impact on the world’s food supplies and on the survival of many species of plants and trees, over 80% of which rely on insects for pollination and production of fruit, nuts or seeds. A typical garden in the UK will contain shrubs, trees, various flowering plants and maybe some fruit and vegetables as well. Most of these plants provide shelter and food for insects. These insects in turn provide food for hedgehogs, spiders and birds. Insects also pollinate fruit and vegetables. This is done not just by honey bees, but by wasps, butterflies, beetles, ladybirds, hover flies and lots of other types of bee that you may not have noticed. Many of the commonest insects we see in the garden do a lot of good. They not only pollinate flowers to produce our fruit and vegetables, but also eat other insects that we consider to be pests, for example green fly and black fly (aphids).

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The idea behind having an insect hotel is to provide a place where insects can shelter in the winter and lay eggs in the summer.