3 DIY ideas for attracting insects to your garden

Some butterflies you want, others you don’t – and there are ways to attract the right kinds. — Andrea Warnecke/dpa

In many parts of the world, insects lack sufficient food and shelter. But gardeners can make a difference even with a tiny plot of land or balcony. Here are three DIY ideas to make your garden as insect-friendly as possible:

1. Stack some old wood

If you’ve got any leftover wood, stack it in a corner of the garden along with any twigs or branches. Bees, wasps and beetles will love it, the Nature Conservation Association of Germany (Nabu) says. For them, deadwood is food, a hiding place and building material.

2. Put out a bowl of mud

Moist clay or mud is a valuable building material for many insects. You can simply keep a patch of open ground wet or put it in a planting bowl. In some gardens, your own clay-rich soil may already be perfect.

3. Offer a drink

Speaking of mud – on warm days, clay puddle is a great watering place for insects.

Conservationists recommend putting a 15cm to 20cm thick layer of mud in a hole, let it solidify and then fill it with water.

Or the easier alternative is to set out a bowl of water. Putting stones or marbles in the water helps them climb out again if they fall in. – dpa