Attracting Beneficial Insects You know you want to
Attracting Beneficial Insects You know you want to!
Why bother? Food ◦ Species selection ◦ Setting up ◦ Multipurpose species Accommodation Individual habitats Siting the hotel Don’t Bee impatient! What will we be talking about
Improved pollination Greater productivity Reduced chemical usage Improved biodiversity Why Bother?
Food
How long with they take to flower? How long will they flower for? Will they self seed and naturalise? Do they have potential to become a weed? How easy are they to establish? Do they fit in with existing plantings? Can they perform multiple roles? Species Selection
Create a diversity of habitats, Clumps rather than single plantings Don’t use pesticides Wasps prefer yellow and white flowers Pollinators prefer blue flowers Reduce digging to prevent damage to soil living predator eggs and nymphs Tolerate honeydew from scale Provide water Setting Up
Edible flowers (Nasturtium, calendulas) Flowering vegetables (umbellifers, brassicas cucumber) Herbs (borage, lavender, lemon balm) Nitrogen fixing (Lucerne, white clover) Fruit (apple, avocado, olive, passionfruit) Dynamic accumulator (comfrey, dandelion) Windbreak – (Callistemon [bottle brush], Acacia) Groundcover – (vetch, red clover) Include Multi-Purpose Species
Accommodation
Outer structure Inner habitats/elements ◦ Wood with predrilled holes ◦ Sticks with pithy centres ◦ Pine cones ◦ Corrugated cardboard ◦ Clay filled pipes or clay bricks Siting the hotel Bug Hotel
Should be big enough to contain all desired elements Must be weatherproof Preferably recycled Outer Structure
Homes for solitary bees Sizes – 1/8” (3 mm) wide by 70 mm deep 13/64” (5 mm) wide by 120 mm deep 1/4” (6. 5 mm) wide by 150 mm deep 3/8” (9. 5 mm) wide by 150 mm deep 1/2" (13 mm) wide by 150 mm deep Drill largest holes first Don’t drill all the way through Stack in structure, holes facing out Wood with Pre Drilled Holes
These are favoured by reed bees. Species include lantana, hydrangea, tibouchina, grape vine or Jerusalem artichoke. Cut to 200 mm long in whatever available thicknesses Wire together and hang in a tree or place in drink bottle in bug hotel. Sticks with Pithy Centres
Pine cones provide habitat for beneficial ladybirds To keep them in the hotel, place into a box with a wire face Pine Cones
Provides habitat for lacewings Cut rectangles of cardboard 200 mm wide Roll up and place in cut-off drink bottle Place cut-side out into the hotel Corrugated Cardboard
Clay is used by solitary bees, blue banded bees in particular Mix 1 part clay and 3 parts sand Pack into a pipe Push in 6 mm pilot holes Place into the hotel Clay Filled Pipes
Place in a sheltered area Face North to North east Avoid direction of prevailing wind Some sun on the face Siting the Hotel
DON’T BEE IMPATIENT!
Why bother? Food ◦ Species selection ◦ Setting up ◦ Multipurpose species Accommodation Individual habitats Siting the hotel Don’t Bee impatient! What we talked about
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