Wolds Beef
Member
Mods move if not in the right place!! How far will beetles, bees and insects migrate if I build bug hotels out of old broken pallets, old logs ect and place in places in among my arable areas?
WB
WB
Bug and Bee Hotels
- Thread starter Wolds Beef
- Start date
Wolds Beef
Member
I take it that know one can answer me!!
WB
WB
- Location
- Shropshire
I’d hazard a aguess nobody knows I certainly wouldn’t know how far a bug goes
All I can say is thet a group of "ecologists" rocked up here 18 months ago, and proceeded to build little mounds of old logs and firewood in and around the solar farm here. Initially, I thought someone had been dumping rubbish.
Two in the solar farm were demolished by something, but not a clue what... Badger maybe.
Two outside were "removed" as being in teh wrong place. As in zero thought about maintenance access for machinery in the future.
I was told they were a sop to Planners and not expected to do much, certainly not here, a broad, mixed arable farm with lots of stewardship. I never really saw anything in them, not in the bee hotes hanging all over the place.
Good Luck with your project though, @Wolds Beef
Two in the solar farm were demolished by something, but not a clue what... Badger maybe.
Two outside were "removed" as being in teh wrong place. As in zero thought about maintenance access for machinery in the future.
I was told they were a sop to Planners and not expected to do much, certainly not here, a broad, mixed arable farm with lots of stewardship. I never really saw anything in them, not in the bee hotes hanging all over the place.
Good Luck with your project though, @Wolds Beef
- Location
- S. Staffs
Anything like decaying brash and suchlike can only harbour an increasing amount of bug life and provide bird food. Bees - our guy who has hives here tells me will easily work up to a mile away apparently. Don't know much about beetles though.
Rod Dumbreck
Member
I suspect they can travel a fair way.
The reason I say this is that had some fly traps that filled up with beetles, presumably the smell of death brought them along, and they mainly survived the ordeal
The reason I say this is that had some fly traps that filled up with beetles, presumably the smell of death brought them along, and they mainly survived the ordeal
- Location
- Worcestershire
I’d avoid pallets because as soon as they rot, you’ve got missing nails and puncture issues. Stick to fallen wood, brash and bare soil if there’s a sunny bank for ground nesting bees. Honey bees about 1 1/2 to 2 miles if they need to but most don’t, solitary, bumble and hover flies are more important. Beetles go about 50m into a crop and maybe 90, but that depends how big they are. There’s a research project on arable beetles, search for Kelly Jowett I think. Connectivity wise, if you can’t create a continuous habitat, try to make stepping stones of safe havens. Water & puddles are valuable habitats too.
www.gwct.org.uk
Beetle banks - Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust
www.gwct.org.uk
Try these
Farming Hub
Information on integrating farming and encouraging sustainability at the farm scale.
www.buglife.org.uk
- Tags
- death harbo maintenance