Build a bug hotel with Spike
In the storybook, 'Spike Expert Explorer', the Cheeky Monsters build an awesome bug hotel to give their bug friends a safe hideaway. You could help the wildlife where you live by building one, too!
Now your bug hotel is ready you can keep a look out for your first bug guests. They could arrive after dark, especially in the warmer months, so you may want to go out with a torch to check.
What you will need:
- Old bricks
- Planks of wood
- Stones and tiles
- Dead wood
- Hollow bamboo
- Dry leaves
- Straw
- Moss
- Pine cones
- A grown-up helper
What to do:
- You can create your bug hotel in a garden, yard or on a balcony. Choose level, firm ground. Some wildlife like cool, damp conditions while some prefer the sun, so you may like to pick a partly-shaded spot to cater for as many guests as possible.
- Create a basic structure that is strong and stable and no more than one metre high. Old wooden pallets and bricks are perfect for this.
- Fill the gaps with the other things you have collected. The idea is to provide lots of different crevices, tunnels and cosy beds for your visitors! For example, beetles, centipedes, spiders and woodlice will love dead wood; ladybirds will love dry leaves; solitary bees will love the holes in hollow bamboo; and frogs and toads will love cool, damp, larger holes.
- Create a roof for your bug hotel by laying planks or old tiles on top of the stack – and the bug hotel is complete!
Other games you might like
Would you like to go on another adventure? There's lots more to do and see with the Cheeky Monsters - check out our other fun-filled Games & Activities.
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