The Bug House Kit
Some assembly required. No experience necessary.
We've added another wing.
This time, the building work was part of the fun. The Bug House arrived as a flat-pack kit, the kind designed for young hands and short attention spans. It came with pre-cut wooden panels, a bag of bamboo tubes, a handful of bolts, and a small instruction sheet. Fifteen minutes later, there was a new building on the fence.
The clever part? A small bag of basil seeds tucked inside the box. Basil is aromatic, and certain insects are drawn to the scent. Plant the seeds nearby, and the Bug House doesn't just offer shelter; it advertises.
What Arrived in the Box
Everything needed for the build was in the box:
- Pre-cut wooden panels, drilled and ready to bolt together
- Bamboo tubes of varying widths, for packing into the frame
- Bolts and fittings, no glue or nails required
- An instruction sheet, clear enough for a child to follow
- A bag of basil seeds, to plant nearby and draw guests in
The kit is robust. The joints are solid, the wood is untreated, and the bamboo tubes fit snugly. It's designed to survive weather, which is what outdoor accommodation needs to do.
The Finished Product
Once assembled, the Bug House is a compact vertical shelter filled with bamboo tubes of different diameters. Each tube is a private room: hollow, smooth, and deep enough for a solitary bee or small wasp to lay eggs and seal them in for the season.
The structure hangs on the garden fence alongside the Bee Hotel. Between them, there's now a proper row of accommodation for solitary insects, each building offering something slightly different.
What's on offer
- Bamboo tube rooms in a range of widths, from narrow to pencil-sized
- Untreated wood frame, safe for nesting insects and built to last
- Compact vertical design, easy to mount on a fence or wall
- Basil companion planting, to attract guests with scent
- Tool-free assembly, bolted together in about fifteen minutes
Who It's For
The Bug House is open to the same guests who'd check into the main hotel's Bamboo Suite or the Bee Hotel's drilled-wood rooms:
- Solitary bees, especially mason bees and leafcutter bees looking for tube-style nesting sites
- Solitary wasps, who appreciate a clean, dry tunnel
- Any small insect that prefers a hollow tube to an open crevice
It's a neighbourhood that's growing. Between the main hotel, the Bee Hotel, and now the Bug House, there's something for everyone.
The Build
This is a kit designed for kids, and it works. The panels bolt together without fuss, the bamboo tubes pack tightly into the frame, and the whole thing is sturdy enough to hang outside year-round. It took about fifteen minutes from box to fence, no power tools, no frustration, and a small person could do most of it with minimal help.
If you're thinking about adding insect accommodation to your own garden, a kit like this is a good way to start. It teaches the basics: what insects need, where to place it, why the materials matter. And at the end, you have something real hanging on the fence.
Part of a growing estate
The Bug House joins the Bee Hotel as one of our newest additions. The main hotel remains fully open with all its original room types. Browse the full accommodation options or meet our guests.