Create a minibeast friendly backyard and have some fun by making an insect hotel. This is a simple activity you can do as a family. There are so many different styles to choose from and most materials you already have around your home.
Not all minibeasts are pests. Good bugs pollinate plants, break down dead flora and fauna, aerate the soil and are food for other wildlife. They can even help keep harmful pests away. Create an inviting environment for good minibeasts by planting plenty of native plants, wildflowers and herbs and use chemical-free pest control when the pests do creep in.
Materials
These are some of my favourite materials to use. Just make sure they are not already a someones home!
Curled Bark 
Old Banksia Flowers 
Bottlebrush Seedpods 
Banksia seedpods 
Gumnuts 
Paperbark
Collect materials from your local area to use in your insect hotel.
- Different types of bark
- Curled bark
- Paperbark
- Seedpods
- Banksia
- Bottlebrush
- Gumnuts
- Rotten pieces of wood
- Hollow bamboo
- Anything long and tube like
- Toilet rolls
- String
You also need containers to put the materials you have collected in. I like to use old terracotta pots, but you can use plastic pots or wooden boxes.
Be creative and reuse materials and resources around your house
Discover other ways to create wildlife friendly backyard. Encourage native wildlife into your backyard by creating a sanctuary for native animals in your garden.
