Denver. Strolling through
the Botanical gardens, this interesting wood cabinet caught my eye. On further
investigation, it turns out to be a hotel. For bugs! Why in the world would you
want to have a place for insects to camp out? Well, where else do they stay in downtown
Denver (or anywhere else in the world), especially in the winter?
Made from pine cones, bamboo, grass, bricks and other recycled materials, is is
an interesting and it turns out, an important addition to the landscape.
Attracting ladybugs, solitary bees and wasps, grasshoppers and other critters
that pollinate our flowers and vegetables and eat bad bugs like aphids, they
are good for the both the garden and the ecosystem. Some are even considered
art.
And they are very popular in Europe. London sponsored a contest for architects
to construct the most luxurious bug hotels which you can now see as you stroll
though the city and the Chelsea Flower Show featured numerous insect hotels.
Cities like Vancouver are also getting into the act. The downtown area
reclaimed an old phone booth and turned into into an urban hotel for insects.
How clever.
If you don’t want to build a hotel, you can (of course) buy one on Amazon. And
even if you are not into gardening, over 90% of the world’s flowers and crops
need pollination to reproduce (just think, there would be no chocolate without
midge flies!) By providing lodging, we can care for our insect brethren as we
continue to encroach on and often destroy their habitats. Just be sure to leave
the lights on and a mint on the pillow. Oh and are there reward points too?