Bug hotel building

Build a five-star minibeast hotel from pallets, bricks, pine cones and hollow stems — then survey the guests over the following weeks.

How it goes

1. Talk about what minibeasts need: damp, dark, gaps to crawl into.
2. Stack a frame (pallet layers or bricks) in a shady, sheltered spot.
3. Fill each 'floor' differently: pine cones, rolled cardboard, hollow stems, bark slabs, stones.
4. Add a 'hotel sign' and predict who'll check in.
5. Revisit weekly with magnifiers and keep a guest register.

Kit

• Pallets or bricks
• Pine cones, bark, hollow stems, cardboard
• Magnifiers