Five habitats to make for beetles
Beetles are fantastic pest predators – discover five habitats to create for them in your garden.
Some habitats, such as leaf piles and compost heaps, come with the added bonus of providing valuable organic matter to be used around the garden.
If you don't have enough space for larger habitats, you could make or buy small beetle houses that can be hung up on walls or placed on the ground.
Discover five beetle habitats to make, below.
Leaf pile
Several species of beetle lay eggs among decaying leaves and their larvae feed on small invertebrates like slugs. Leaf piles make a good overwintering place for beetles – they’ll be on hand in spring to deal with early slugs.
Compost heap
An open compost heap, in which beetles can access the waste, provides the perfect breeding habitat for a range of ground dwelling beetles. Avoid closed, plastic bins, which prevent access to the waste within; wooden slatted units are best.
Stones
A pile of stones will provide a dark, damp place for nocturnal beetles to shelter by day. Pile a few stones in your ornamental border and the beetles will be closer to their prey – slugs and snails – when they emerge to hunt at dusk.
Dead wood stack
Simple stacks of dead wood created from woody prunings or larger logs will attract plenty of invertebrate life, beetles included. Here are three ways to create a dead wood habitat.
Stumpery
Stumperies were popular in Victorian Britain and are typically created from dead wood such as logs, tree stumps and bark. They're especially good for attracting wood-boring beetles, such as stag beetles. Here's how to create a stumpery.
Beetles to look out for
- Devil's coach-horse (Ocypus olens)
- Lesser stag beetle (Dorcus parallelipipedus)
- Soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
- Stag beetle (Lucanus cervus)
- Violet ground beetle (Carabus violaceus)
- Black clock beetle (Pterostichus madidus)
- Blue ground beetle (Leistus spinibarbis)
- Rove beetle (Philonthus politus)
- Broad ground beetle (Abax parallelepipedus)
Festive subscription offer
Save 38% on the shop price. Subscribe to BBC Gardeners' World Magazine today for £49.99.
November issue on sale now!
The November issue of BBC Gardeners' World magazine is on sale now, buy online or in stores now.
Plant of the Week: Cornus sanguineau 'Anny's Winter Orange'
This week, save over 20 per cent and buy 1 x 3L pot for just £13.95. Use code GWCORNUS at checkout to apply the discount.
Offer ends 23.59, Sunday 10 November.
Discover Dangerous Plants
From witchcraft to murder mysteries, uncover the power of plants in the new BBC Gardeners' World Magazine podcast series.