DIY – Wild Pollinator Hotel

For wild pollinators, the most important thing is to provide a rich source of food – a wildflower meadow with nectar- and pollen-rich plants.

You don’t need many tools, materials or special skills – all it takes is a little enthusiasm and a few simple elements to support these beneficial insects.

How to build an insect hotel?

• Gather your materials

  Use natural materials as well as things that would otherwise go to waste (a zero-waste approach is very welcome!). You can use stones, pine cones, reed (with no holes running all the way through), bricks, pieces of wood with drilled holes, as well as dry leaves or bark.

• Create the base

  Ours was made from classic wooden pallets, but you can use wooden slats, pieces of timber or a ready-made structure for yours.

• Put everything together

  Use your imagination and thoughtfully arrange the filling inside the structure. Bundles of reed, pine cones and other natural materials from the forest will create an excellent habitat for insects.

  

• Take care of the roof

  The hotel should provide insects with shelter from the night, other animals and harsh weather conditions. Make sure they can stay dry when it rains! It’s also worth remembering that the vast majority of bees live in the ground, so it’s a good idea to leave a patch of exposed soil for them.

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• Invite your guests

  How can you encourage insects to use the hotel? Lure them in naturally – for example, by creating a nearby “restaurant” for them with a wildflower meadow. They certainly won’t be able to resist!

Fingers crossed for a successful adventure. Every one of us can help make a positive difference for our planet!

For more interesting facts, check out Michał from Pasieka M3 >>CLICK<<

The photos above were taken during a workshop in 2022, when Michał, numerous volunteers and we built a wild pollinator hotel at the summit of Skrzyczne. Below you can find a short summary of our event:

Probably the highest wild pollinator hotel in Poland.

On 21 May 2022, we met in a clearing below the Skrzyczne PTTK mountain shelter to build a wild pollinator hotel.

The weather almost ruined our plans – a storm during the night, heavy rain in the morning and strong mountain winds meant that the workshop was in doubt. Fortunately, the clouds cleared before noon and we were able to get started with the activities we had planned.

The workshop was jointly led by Kasia, representing .KOPYTO., and Michał from Pasieka M3, who also designed the shelter especially for us. Kasia introduced the participants to the idea behind the project, while Michał talked about the role of bees in the ecosystem and the challenges facing pollinating insects. More specifically – the threats facing these insects, which are so important to our planet.

The wild pollinator hotel we decided to build was entirely designed by Michał. We wanted to follow a zero-waste approach, so we mainly used materials we could find around the mountain shelter – various types of pallets, boards, branches, pine cones and more.

After a short introduction, some of the participants headed into the forest to collect some decaying wood and other useful treasures. The rest began arranging the pallets in the designated spot and preparing the framework for the future hotel.

The next stage was construction – the base had to be filled with the collected materials. Throughout the process, Michał talked about bees and their role in the ecosystem, while taking the time to answer all the participants’ questions.

We were delighted that so many of the youngest participants got involved in the project, and they were the ones who asked the most questions – after all, the future of our planet is in their hands.

Construction went quite smoothly (which may have had something to do with the presence of a professional builder among the participants).

Once the two floors had been filled, it was time for the finishing touch. According to Michał’s design, the roof of the hotel was meant to serve as a restaurant for wild bees, so we covered it with a wildflower meadow. We received the seeds from Ekobombs in Ruda Śląska, and we would like to thank them very much. We’ll do our best to make the roof of our hotel as colourful as possible.

At the end of the event – as a reward for all the effort that went into building the hotel – Michał surprised us with a special treat. It was a delicious honey cake made with honey from his own apiary and prepared by our friends at Zicherka café and pastry shop in Katowice.

Thank you to everyone who took part, to the Skrzyczne Mountain Shelter for providing us with a place for the hotel, to Ecobombs for the seeds and to Zicherka Café for the delicious sweet treat.

We plan to keep an eye on the hotel (and modernise it if necessary), and you can see it when you visit the Beskids. Would you like to get actively involved? We encourage you to learn more about the subject and take action on your own.

Participants:

KOPYTO – event organiser and initiator

Skrzyczne Mountain Shelter – event host

Michał from Pasieka M3 – co-organiser and initiator, responsible for the expert content and hotel design

Ecobombs – wildflower meadow seed supplier

Zicherka – supplier of the delicious honey cake