1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeart Radio, Hey 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: brain Stuff Lauren Vogelbaum. Here, bugs need places to hang out, 3 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: just like everybody else. If you're a garden or yard 4 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: has a little bit of fallow ground, you could give 5 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: some insects a place to lay down their weary head 6 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: and thorax and everything else. Populations of terrestrial insects all 7 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: over the world are declining at a rate that has 8 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: alarmed scientists. In a German study found that the overall 9 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: biomass of flying insects has declined by up to seventy 10 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: worldwide in the past thirty years, for reasons that aren't 11 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 1: yet completely understood. A study published in January one in 12 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,480 Speaker 1: the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences confirmed 13 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: the same conclusion. Bugs are in trouble, which doesn't bode 14 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: well for the rest of us. However, assigned is studying 15 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 1: the decline recommend protecting wild habitats and spaces friendly to 16 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: insects while they figure it out. Enter insect hotels. These 17 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 1: are structures that give bugs protection from predators as well 18 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: as a place to overwinter, nest, lay eggs, and care 19 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: for their young. Although it's helpful to know exactly what 20 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: sorts of insects you want to lower to your yard 21 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: or garden before creating your insect hotel. There are a 22 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 1: few types to consider as you're designing structure. One of 23 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 1: the groups of insects hit hardest in the past few 24 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: decades is solitary bees, which are important pollinators and most 25 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: often stingless. We tend to think of bees as social 26 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: and moderately threatening, but most be species nest alone in 27 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: holes in the ground of The diameter of the preferred 28 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: hole varies between species. Meanwhile, centipedes, which eat garden slugs, 29 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: garden spiders which control other pests would lie and beetles 30 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: love rotting logs, pollinating hoverflies and avid eating ladybugs prefer 31 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: bundles of twigs and sticks, while lacewings, which eat many 32 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: different garden pests from scale insects to mites, like to 33 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: nest and straw dried grass or rolled up cardboard. Insect 34 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: hotels are a favor to our many legged friends, but 35 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: are definitely an art project as well. The Guinness World 36 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: Record for the biggest bug hotel, awarded in March of 37 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: two in the Scottish Highlands, is one ninety nine point 38 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: nine cubic meters in volume that's seven thousand and fifty 39 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: nine cubic feet. It's fashioned from a fallen spruce, bricks, 40 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: bamboo canes, wood chips, bark, wildflower seeds, clay pipes, and 41 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: strawberry netting, but any collection of rotting logs, lichens, cinder blocks, 42 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: wood palettes, and wooden blocks will make many different species happy. 43 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: The trick is to drill or construct your setup with 44 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: various sized holes of different depths between about a quarter 45 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: two half an inch in diameter that's about half to 46 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:10,679 Speaker 1: one centimeter, plus some hollow twigs and stems. It's important 47 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 1: to not use plastic sheeting in your insect hotel because 48 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:18,959 Speaker 1: moisture can lead to mold that can harm insects. As 49 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,799 Speaker 1: insects often like sheltered areas, where you locate your insect 50 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:28,239 Speaker 1: hotel is an important consideration. Many insects like relatively damn conditions, 51 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: but solitary bees prefer direct sun and low humidity. It's 52 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: also important to clean out and restock and refurbish your 53 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: insect hotel from time to time, using great care not 54 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: to disturb any eggs or remaining residents. This will keep 55 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: your little buddies healthy and coming back to stay. There 56 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: are lots of guides online to help you build something 57 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: appropriate for your local critters. Today's episode is based on 58 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: the article Insect Hotels roll out the Welcome that for 59 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,119 Speaker 1: Bugs of all kinds on how stuff works dot com, 60 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: written by Joslyn Shields. The brain Stuff is production of 61 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: Our Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff works dot com, 62 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: and it is produced by Tyler Clang. Four more podcasts 63 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: from my heart Radio visit the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 64 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.