Snug as a Bug campaign

Updated 22 December 2009

Young Thomas Wing (aged 6) and his Nanna sent us this video of their bug hotel and Thomas tells us how he made it. It's still not too late to take part!

At this time of year we start to focus on taking care of the wildlife around us. We help provide food for birds and supply places for animals such as Hedgehogs to hibernate in. But what about the bugs that mammals and birds depend on for food, and which bring so much activity and life to our gardens in the summer months?

This winter, your bugs need you! We want to provide hundreds of snug shelters across the UK for everything from bumblebees to beetles, and spiders to snails. It's time to join the Snug as a Bug campaign!

Take part!

To take part all you need to do is make your own Bug Hotel! We have supplied step by step instructions here and you can also download a PDF instruction sheet from this page.

Bug Hotels are very compact and suitable even for the smallest yard or garden. Making the Bug Hotel is a suitable activity for wildlife-fans of all ages - children will be able to collect dead leaves and fill the wire tube with these.

A Bug Hotel - a snug shelter for bugs!

And in the Spring...

In the spring we will tell you when you can take your Bug Hotel apart and meet your residents. We will provide you with a form to fill in to note down which bugs you found living there, and then you will be able to submit your results online! We will be able to see just how many bugs we provided shelter for over the winter!

Who may take up residence?

Ladybirds hibernate in sheltered places © Jon Mold

Ground beetles may decide to hide away in your Bug Hotel © Roger Labbett

Queen bumbleebees find safe places to overwinter © Nicholas Vereecken

Also...

spiders, millipedes, centipedes, snails, woodlice

...and much, much more!