The Gables Insect Inn

A very easy (and eco-friendly) DIY insect inn to do for great impact on a wall in your garden, adding a new design element and a safe place for pollinators.

What you Need for your Insect Inn

• Timber strips cut to these specifications:
• Big frame: 2 x (390 x 55 x 16mm); 1 x (580 x 55 x 16 mm)
• Medium frame: 2 x (307 x 55 x 16mm); 1 x (470 x 55 x 16 mm)
• Small frame: 2 x (203 x 55 x 16mm); 1 x (325 x 55 x 16 mm)
• Wood glue
• 18 wire round-head nails (1.6 x 25 mm)
• 3 Hilti screws

Tools

Tape measure, pencil, mitre box, hammer, handsaw, impact drill with masonry drill bits

Steps

1. Once you have cut all the timber to the cutting list, cut 45° angles on the ends of all the pieces.

2. Glue and nail the pieces together to form a triangle.

3. Hang each triangle from a Hilti screw secured into a wall, forming a pattern with the three triangles. Fill your bug hotel with sticks, cut bamboo, broken terracotta pots, slate, straw, seedpods, bark – in fact, anything natural that will pack into a pattern. Pack the material in tightly to keep it from falling out.