Bug hotel

We've had this project on the list for a while now - building a "bug hotel".  In a way it's funny to create a bug "habitat" when really there is a wide array of insect habitat in the entire yard (pollinator-attracting plants, the pond, lots of old logs, tall grasses, compost pile, soil, brush piles, rocks, etc).  However, the bug hotel allows you to create one visual place that will attract a variety of beneficial insects for viewing in one location, and it's a great project to build with kids.  There are many beautiful design ideas out there for this kind of project - we suggest using materials you have on hand for the structure, and filling it with all manner of found natural objects (pinecones, bark, dried sticks, hollow sticks and plant stalks, old clay pots, burlap, rocks, clay bricks, logs with holes drilled in, etc).  You can include flowering pollen and nectar-rich plants, or locate the bug hotel near a flower or herb garden to help attract insects.  Then sit back and watch what will come.  Have your kids create a bug logbook to record what they discover.