Due to the fact we have been having quite a few deliveries of garden items. We landed up with several wooden pallets. Our next-door neighbour wanted a couple, but we were left with one nice stolid one.
Since it had been sitting on the front drive for a few months, we decided it was time to bring it around to the back garden and use it to make a bug hotel.
First, we cleared a space near to the back gate and started screwing it to the fence and adding some old tiles we had for a roof.
But then we decided that it wasn't in the right place, so cleared a space up near to the compost bins and beside the gate that leads to the compost bins and side of the folly.
Here it's sheltered by some bamboo on one side and the trellis behind. Paul added shelves and partitions ready for filling with things that bugs like. We will be also filling the space below the pallet with old bricks and wood which bugs etc also like to live in.
These roof tiles have been sitting around the garden since we moved in nearly 18 years ago, it's nice to finally have a use for some of them.
Paul used some of the cut ends from when he put the new fence posts in and also a couple of the ends from the sleepers used for the pond. Holes drilled into them, then stacked in place.
We have now added some bricks at the bottom and also in beside some cardboard tubing filled with cut bamboo canes. A section filled with straw and another of broken pots. at the bottom below the pallet is also a pile of old wood that is already home to a couple of spiders!
We just need to fill that last gap above the crocks, add some stuff between the gaps and it's complete.
The pile of apple tree branches in the folly fireplace will also be another place for bugs etc to live.