Pollinating early blossom

Insect hotel in apple tree

Insect hotel in apple tree

Our wildlife gardening articles highlight how important it is to provide places to hibernate over winter for the many types of insects beneficial to our gardens. And many of you are no doubt using ‘insect hotels’ of one sort or another for this purpose. If you have fruit trees or bushes, especially ones that produce blossom early in the spring, then you might like to try putting small insect hotels in your trees – as shown in this picture – so that pollinators will be ready and waiting as soon as the weather warms up and the blossom buds open!

DANES (Derbys and Notts Entomological Society) 2016 Annual Insect Show

If you are at all interested in anything bug or crawly on Sat 29th October at Derby University (10.30 till 4.30) off Kedelston Rd (A38 DE22 1GB) and includes live and preserved insects, computer demos, demonstrations, opportunities for hands on study and displays about current research and conservation. An interesting day well worth a visit. See DANES Web Site http://www.danes-insects.org.uk/events.htm