How to Build a Simple Bug Hotel

Create a cozy backyard home for beneficial insects using recycled materials and natural items. HowTo: Family Edition: family how-tos that actually help.

1. Prepare your frame. Find a dry, flat spot in your garden to place your crate or box. If you are using a cardboard box, make sure it is tucked under a ledge or covered so it stays dry.
2. Create the rooms. Fill the inside of your box with your collected materials. Place the bamboo sticks or hollow stems in a bundle, and use the pinecones and bark to fill in the gaps. Make sure everything is packed tightly so the materials do not fall out.
3. Secure the hotel. If your materials are loose, ask a grown-up to help you tie them together with twine or use a bit of string to secure them to the sides of the box.
4. Find the perfect location. Place your finished hotel in a quiet, shady spot near bushes or flowers. The best hotels are slightly off the ground, so you might want to ask a grown-up to help you set it on a few bricks or a wooden pallet.