Insect Hotel in the Animal Kingdom

Wild bees live either as solitary individuals or in small groups. They are very important pollinators of our flowering plants; here in Eastern Styria, in particular, they ensure a bountiful apple harvest. Unlike honeybees, which need slightly higher temperatures to fly, wild bees fly even at temperatures below 15°C. They lay their eggs individually in brood cells, and each egg is supplied with a reserve of pollen and nectar. The brood cell is then sealed. In this protected area, the larva develops, feeding on the reserves. In most cases, the adult bee emerges within the same year.

Several species of wasps will also make their home in the insect hotel: path wasps, for example, paralyze spiders with a sting, carry their prey into the brood chamber, lay an egg on the spider, and seal the chamber. Protected from potential predators in this way, the young wasp can now develop. Digger wasps will also move in here; their food supply consists of paralyzed beetles or grasshoppers.

On the top floor, a few rooms await the lacewings for the winter. Behind the strips, the chambers are filled with hay and straw; lacewings prefer dry, draft-free conditions. By the way, the strips are painted red because lacewings are attracted to red! Lacewing larvae—also known as aphid lions—have a voracious appetite for aphids and should therefore be welcome guests in every garden.

Bumblebees usually prefer underground nests. However, some species of bumblebees, such as tree bumblebees, garden bumblebees, and stone bumblebees, build their nests above ground. There’s a room available for them in our insect hotel, too.

Spotted ladybugs are a must-have in any garden. The same applies to them as to lacewings: they love to eat aphids. A ladybug eats several thousand aphids over the course of its life, and a ladybug larva needs about 50 aphids per day. They, too, will move into their rooms on the upper floors; some will join the lacewings, while others will move into the bricks provided.

Butterflies, too, are welcome to make our hotel their home. The branches and the hollows between them offer them good shelter, and they’ll also find good hiding places among the bricks. Here at Tierwelt Herberstein, both caterpillars and adult butterflies have access to a wide variety of food sources thanks to the many different plant species.