Nesting homes for solitary insects

We made these nesting houses for solitary insects - various bees and wasps are solitary and usually build nesting tunnels in old wood, hollow stems of plants and others gaps and holes here and there.

We used clay although lots of other materials could be used - flowerpots, wood, bricks, hollow reeds... Once our magnificent castles have dried (see one of Sol's has a little drawbridge!) we will place them in peaceful places in the garden.  The smaller ones we will place behind ivy and other climbers.  The larger ones in other well hidden , well protected spots.

The castle on the left even has a drawbridge.  Sol wants a wasp to live in there.  The larger one is Sol's beautiful toadstool with lots of turrets and a special spiral chimney on the top.

The little toadstool is Noah's he needed a little help with.  The mighty old tree is Leo's masterpiece.

We are on the look out for the right piece of wood for the boys to drill lots of holes in using a wide drill bit with their hand drill.

As the numbers of solitary bees and insects have diminished through the use of pesticides and less food and breeding places in nature, this has been a wonderful activity to show us how we can help our vital friends.  We have also sown lots of wildflower seeds and leave the border along our garden to grow naturally and wild. And we don't use chemicals.