Bug hotels are a great habitat that can support biodiversity, by providing a home for a range of mini beasts (bugs). If you have a Bug hotel you might find pollinators like Solitary Bees checking in, decomposers like Woodlouse’s, Ladybugs who are predators of pests like aphids, or maybe even caterpillars and over wintering butterflies.

A bug hotel can be big or small, if you have an outdoor space, building a bug hotel of any size is a great way to pass some time and help nature find a Space to Thrive. If you are eager to build your own bug hotel (big or small), head to the end of this page for more directions.

This month at City Parks our Gardeners and Conservation Volunteers have gone big on bug hotels! Below are a few examples of new and established bug hotels around some of Chelmsford’s City Parks.

Central Park

Bugs in Central Park are spoilt for choice with two main hotels, for bugs to choose from.

Central Park Hotel 1

A 5-star luxury hub for all a bug’s needs, with an exclusive butterfly penthouse and private insect drinking pool. Created by master crafters Max, Nigel, David and Jake.

Central Park Hotel 2

Situated in a peaceful lightly shaded area, this hotel is for for bugs who might like to chill out between pottering around or strolling to the nearby wood stumps.

Tower Gardens Bug Hotel

A top spot for pollinators, who may want to check in on the nearby roses and fantastic flower beds. This lightly shaded hotel is everything a bug could want.

John Shennan Field Local Nature Reserve

Snuggling into our newest Local Nature Reserve, once fully open this cosey pallet hotel will make a fantastic home for all sorts of local mini beasts. Conservation volunteers re-used materials such as branches and twigs from an earlier tidy up of overgrowth.

Bugs off the beaten track

Trinity Church’s pollinator garden, and Waterhouse Street are great for those bugs looking for places off the beaten track, or as base for the social minded bug.

For bugs looking for more established distinguished hotels we have:

Compass Gardens, South Woodham Ferrers

An excellent choice for any discerning bug, this traditional pallet bug hotel was carefully constructed by conservation volunteers, and is a great support to biodiversity.

Hyland’s Park

Crafted by conservation volunteers a few years ago for the Forest School education area at Hyland’s estate, bugs settling here are sure to go far.

Marconi Ponds Local Nature Reserve

Situated in City Parks smallest Local Nature Reserve, this partly gated nature community is a haven for a hoard of bugs.

Build your own big bug hotel

If you want a guide on how to build your own big bug hotel using wooden pallets, you can download our ‘build a bug hotel’ guide here: Bring more wildlife into your garden – Love Your Chelmsford  which can also be accessed via our Fun and Learning pages.

Small Bug Hotels

Small Bee Hotels

Bee hotels can be bought or made, they are best positioned in a sunny spot (facing south), and somewhere that is sheltered from wind and rain. The hotel should be safely secure place, with the base of the hotel positioned around 1 to 1.5 meters off the ground.   See our guide on how to ‘Build a Bee Hotel’ or watch our video on ‘How to make a Bee Home’ at: Pollinator Projects in Chelmsford – Love Your Chelmsford .

No DIY – Small Bug hotels

Choose an out of the way patch in your garden or yard. Gather any logs, twigs or rubble like bricks and tiles you might not be using (we recommend using gardening gloves for this to keep your hand clean). Stack the materials gathered in a small pile, in your chosen out of the way area, and leave it there for the bugs to find an enjoy.

You could also leave a leaf pile or make your own compost (Composting – Love Your Chelmsford ) the soil and worms will love it too!