Compass direction
Optimally, the openings of your insect hotel point to the south or south-west. In this way, you guarantee your residents the most hours of sunshine. If you watch the insects for a while, you will find that there is a lot of activity on sunny days. When clouds cover the sky, the animals prefer to withdraw. In addition, the newly hatched larvae also love to be cozy and warm. If the blazing sun shines on the nesting entrances, this helps the development enormously.
also read
- Insect hotel - which insects prefer which material?
- Install an insect hotel on the balcony
- The right paint attracts insects to the hotel
Note: Especially because an insect hotel (€ 8.87 at Amazon *) should be in the blazing sun, the sheathing must not be made of glass. The heat builds up underneath, which means certain death for the insects.
Protection from wind and precipitation
However, you should also make sure that your insect hotel is not exposed to strong winds. Insects don't like drafts at all. Butterflies in particular then quickly run away again. These measures protect your insect hotel from moisture and wind:
- An insulated roof
- Heat-retaining filling material such as wood wool
- Location under a house ledge
- Firmly nail the insect hotel to a tree trunk
- Location in the slipstream of a hedge
Approach lane
It is not just the orientation of the approach path towards the sun that is important. The insects will only take shelter if you pave the way for them. This means that the approach lane should not be obstructed by trees or walls. On the other hand, the hustle and bustle nearby bothers the insects less. Thus it is also possible to place the insect hotel on a balcony.
Opening on both sides?
An insect hotel does not necessarily have to have a back wall. Creative design options are, for example, insect hotels
- Cans
- Tree grates
- Pallets
- or a wagon wheels
Since this housing shape is open on both sides in these cases, one side of the insect hotel is inevitably facing away from the sun. Here you shouldn't try to find something in between, but rather expose one side to direct sun and accept the shadowy area on the other side. The residents will set up their appropriate subject.
