Blog post on the contents of my 2023 insect hotels
If anyone wants to see what I do with my nesting tunnels during the winter, I wrote a post with tips and photographs of the occupants (mason bees, wasps, Houdini flies). When possible, I included links to what they'll look like as adults. Post also has information on how to make your own insect hotel and where to buy them.
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Hi Colin, love your blog posts on the insect hotels, very informative. I have been working to catalogue some of our solitary wasps here in AK and am hoping I get some wasp visitors at my "wasp hotel" this summer! I have a few questions about the process:
When you remove the insects and put them in vials for rearing do you then move those rearing vials back outside, or is a refrigerator sufficient?
If the insects go back outside, do they go back into the hotel or should they be insulated by snow cover?
Approximately which month do you go through the tubes and remove any larvae/pupae?
Thank you for your help! I look forward to posting what I find to the project.
Alex
Hi Alex. I move them to my unheated garage so that they stay cold but are protected from birds, squirrels, and raccoons. I think a refrigerator would be fine, too, if that's more convenient. Though I wonder whether they'd emerge at the right time ... I'm just not sure.
As for sorting time, I usually do it in Jan or Feb because that's when I'm really bored. But anything after October and before May should be fine for my area, though you might alter that for AK.
Hope that helps, and I'm looking forward to seeing your residents.
Colin
Sounds great, thanks so much!
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