The Beebug Hotel

An insect hotel, also known as a bug hotel or insect house, is a manmade structure created to provide shelter for insects. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on the specific purpose or specific insect it is catered to.

The Beebug hotel at The Slieve Russell is made from up-cycled shipping pallets, recycled Georgian bricks from Dublin, a handmade hedgehog box, pine cones and branches from native Irish grown trees.

Most bug hotels consist of several different sections that provide insects with nesting facilities – particularly during winter, offering shelter or refuge for many types of insects. Many insect hotels are used as nest sites by insects including solitary bees and solitary wasps. These insects drag prey to the nest where an egg is deposited. Other insect hotels are specifically designed to allow the insects to hibernate, notable examples include ladybirds (ladybugs) and, arguably butterflies.

Insect hotels are popular amongst gardeners and fruit and vegetable growers due to their role encouraging insect pollination. Some elaborately designed insect hotels may also be attractions in their own right and, increasingly, can be found in visitor gardens and various tourist locations.

The introduction of insect hotels into a habitat provides valuable housing for beneficial insects. Impacts of increased insect population can be seen in the form of better soil quality, increased pollination, elevated ecosystem diversity, and reductions in the numbers of other detrimental insects.

Our Bug Hotel is located on the Cranaghan Way Walkway as you pass through the Forest.

The Slieve Russell Hotel would like to thank the Team at “Belturbet Men’s Shed” for their skills, knowledge and enthusiasm in creating our Bug Hotel.

Thank you also to the Children of Scoil Naoimh Brid who officially opened it in May 2023.