Do you have a Bug Hotel?

We have a large bug hotel, fashioned from a old wooden table and other scrap wood. Not many bees but vast amounts of spiders and woodlice, plus a robin has nested in it for the past couple of years.

I have a new bee,very skinny , who has entered a tiny hole in a brick. Also this morning a fatter one exploring the bug box.

I have three bug hotels on my shed wall. They are well used every year. Visitors find it a bit disconcerting seeing the bees flying in and out, until I assure them that solitary bees don't sting. In my garden there are neatly cut semicircles out of rose and hydrangea leaves, which are used to plug some of the holes.
At first I wasn't sure whether I needed to drill out the holes again after they were vacated, but the bees seem happy to re-use them.

kircubbin2000

There are no other Bees or birds in my garden this year. What has happened?

I have not seen any thing in my garden apart from birds. Even when sitting out there is nothing, no flies etc. I had purchased some Citronelle candles for the garden table to keep the flying insectsw at bay but there is nothing at all buzzing about. I see the odd bee but that is it.

The only place I have insects is on my indoor herb plants and no amount of spraying will shift the tiny little things so I had to plant them in the garden in shady spot and hope they don't die off.

Interesting to read these comments.

I asked for a bug hotel for my birthday a few weeks ago and it was put up today. Looking forward to watching any arrivals!

I have two bug/bee houses that I bought ready made a few years ago. They are on the fence by the patio close to the house and have been populated by solitary bees. It's fascinating to watch them emerge in spring and then a couple of weeks later return to lay their eggs and seal up the holes with wood pulp which they chew off the fence! We also have leaf-cutter bees which make their homes in the screw holes under our metal garden table where the screws have fallen out! They cause no problems, do not sting and are not aggressive so we just live and let live and enjoy watching them beavering away

This thread has made me realise that normally are long lavender hedge is covered with bees this time of year. This year they are few and far between.

Normally our garden and allotment is buzzing with bees and flying insects at this time of the year, however, many of these rely on solar power for energy and there hasn’t been a lot of that this Spring and Summer.
Our tomatoes and cucumbers are at least a month behind.

There are no other Bees or birds in my garden this year. What has happened?

My 6 year old bug hotel has been used every year since it was first put up. Two newer ones took a year or so before anything obviously used them. I love watching the various insects inspecting the different tubes until they find one they're happy with. It's fun in Spring to watch for the tubes re-opening but I've never caught sight of anything leaving just see yet another new one is open.

I made several in the past, just short lengths of wide diameter cane, tied in a bundle with string

Now I have a bug/bee friendly garden which is one solid mass of flowers, yellow, purple and white, no grass. There are bumble bees all over it. They are mass-planted ground-cover sedums. The bees need somewhere to get pollen

We don't have any 'purpose-built' bug hotels, but I'm pretty sure the various log stores around our garden are used as unofficial B&B accommodation for a whole variety of little critters!

DH spent lockdown making them out of some old wooden garden furniture and giving them to friends and family. They were really creative, with several ‘floors’ and ‘interiors’.
They all seem to be well used by creatures. The bees have moved in and sealed up the entrances to the bamboo tubes, there are webs around the fir cones and inroad made into the coir.
Of course many of the creatures will be unseen, but hopefully living happily in their apartments.

Yes, I do. Also a limestone, lime mortared wall pitted with mason bee holes and an area of the lawn that houses a colony of digger wasps, they do not sting or bother us, just look like cuddly waps - if you see whaat I mean.

I have 8 Mason Bees who have now laid eggs,sealed the holes and left. Not sure what happens next.
Yesterday someone else moved in but I'm not sure whether he's a spider as he's hiding.