Mini Bug Habitats – Introduce your children or grandchildren to the fascinating world of nature with our habitats for ladybirds, lacewings and bees, which are fun and interesting for the children and provide beneficial insects with places to feed, breed and over-winter. These three Mini Bug Habitats are designed to attract beneficial insects while being fun and educational for children.  

Mini Bug Ladybird Log – This smaller version of our best selling Ladybird House has been designed with children in mind. Ladybirds are a welcome sight in the garden and one of the best ways to attract them to your garden is to provide a safe, dry environment for ladybirds to breed, feed and overwinter in. The Ladybird Log has a hollow central chamber that can be filled with dry grass, dry leaves or straw, which the ladybirds reach through holes drilled in the side. The Mini Bug Ladybird Log comes in colourful packaging making it an ideal gift and comes with a project book (contains fascinating facts and pictures of ladybird development) and instructions. The house can be positioned amongst plants or hung from a fence etc by a metal eye on the back. Meaures 20cm tall and 8cm in diameter.

Mini Bug Solitary Bee House – This smaller version of our best selling Solitary Bee Hive, has been designed with children in mind. Bees pollinate flowers, herbs, fruit trees & veg plants and this house is a great way of building up the numbers of bees in your garden as adult bees and their offspring will use the same nest each year. This wooden beehive (bees prefer wooden nesting sites) is made from durable FSC timber and the solitary bees seal their eggs inside the holes with mud or chewed up vegetation, so it is easy to tell if it is being used. Solitary Bees are docile and rarely sting, which makes them ideal for children to study. The Mini Bug Solitary Bee House comes in colourful packaging making an ideal gift and comes complete with a project book and instructions. The house should be positioned amongst plants on a brick or paving slab. Measures 11cm wide x 12 cm long and 10 cm deep.

Mini Bug Bug Box – This Mini Bug Bug Box will attract a wide range of beneficial bugs including lacewings and ladybirds. This insect house consists of holes drilled into a wooden block for insects to nest in and it also comes with hollow canes and straws, which the children assemble to provide another nesting area. The Mini Bug Bug Box provides a safe, dry environment for benefical insects such as ladybirds and Lacewings to breed, feed and overwinter in. The Mini Bug Bug Box comes in colourful packaging making an ideal gift and comes complete with a project book and instructions. It also contains information on building your own bug boxes. The bug box is hung from a fence etc by a metal eye on the back. Measures 15cm wide x 11cm deep x 7 cm wide.

Ladybird Houses - Our range of ladybird houses are designed to simulate the natural habitat sought by ladybirds for hibernation helping more of these beneficial insects survive the winter.

Ladybird attractant and food - Mix the powder with a drop of water and use in the garden or in one of our ladybird houses. This encourages ladybirds to stay in your garden giving you free pest control. Use from early spring onwards.

"I ordered some ladybirds and food attractant and I am very impressed!!! The ladybirds went straight for the attractant that I put on some plants and on their house. It was really interesting to watch and I just wanted to say thank you for the speedy service and fantastic products. Thanks again." Tania D by email.

Ladybird Field Guide - Did you know there are 26 species of ladybirds in this country? This attractive laminated field guide has pictures and descriptions of them all to help you identify the ones in your garden.

Ladybird Lifecycle Models - These meticulously designed ladybird lifecycle figures are an educational accessory to go with our ladybird kit. These accurate replicas are oversized making them ideal for little hands. There are 4 stages accurately detailed - eggs, larva, pupa and adult ladybird.

Beepol Bumble Bee Box and the Beepol Lodgeor Cabin – Bumblebees are one of the most important pollinators in the garden, pollinating fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs, but their numbers are decreasing. This recent decline in bumblebee numbers has been widely reported, so why not position a LIVE colony of bumblebees in your garden to boost their numbers and ensure pollination of YOUR plants. Bumblebees are available NOW.

N.B. Demand for Bumble Bees is very high, so please allow 7 days for delivery. 

Native British Bumble Bees - Bumblebees are widely used in commercial horticulture to pollinate crops and NOW you too can release native buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris audax) in YOUR garden. Bumblebees are responsible for pollinating lots of plants in your garden including runner beans, broad beans, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, sunflowers, cherries, pears, plums, apples, peaches, courgettes, marrows, pumpkins, gourds, aubergines, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and strawberries. It is better to release bumblebees to increase pollination because bumblebees visit more flowers, carry heavier loads and are active at lower temperatures than honeybees. Bumblebees also use “buzz pollination”, which helps pollinate a wider variety of plants.

Beepol Bumble Bee Box – Native live bumble bees delivered straight to your door. Available between April and August i.e. available NOW, this maintenance free hive contains a queen and approx 30 workers  ready for release in YOUR garden. The Beepol Bumble Bee Box is NOT weatherproof and needs to be placed under cover i.e. in a greenhouse OR place it inside the Beepol Bumble Bee Lodge or Cabin (see below).

Beepol Bumble Bee Box – Once in position, the Bumble Bee Box can survive for between 8-12 weeks during which time the population increases to 200 / 300 bees. They can be observed going about their work, as they bring pollen back to the hive. The Beepol Bumble Bee Box has been designed to educate as well as pollinate and features a clear viewing panel, so you can observe the colony as it develops. Bumblebees are released through an easy to use trap door system, which is very safe to use PLUS it can also be used to hold bees in the hive if it needs to be moved to a new position i.e. if you want to move it from a greenhouse out into the garden. After 8-12 weeks the queen bee dies, but before she does, she produces young queens that will leave the hive to hibernate before establishing fresh new colonies in the following spring. The whole process can then be repeated with a fresh hive ANYTIME between April and August. Available NOW.

Beepol Bumble Bee Lodge and Cabin - Two designs are available - The Beepol Lodge (pictured left) and The Beepol Cabin (pictured right). Both of theses are the ultimate wildlife feature for your garden, providing a fascinating and permanent place of residence for your very own bumblebee colony. Bumblebee colonies do not survive the winter, so place a fresh Beepol Bumble Bee Hive in the lodge each spring, ensuring every summer you can enjoy the sight and sounds of British bumblebees hard at work in your garden. Both the Beepol Bumble Bee Lodge and Cabin have hinged roofs for access and for viewing the Bumblebee colony. It stands on wooden legs to keep the hive off the ground. The entrance hole is the correct size and shape for bumblebees and we have even provided a landing ledge for them to rest on when they return to the hive with heavy loads of pollen! The entrance holes are now protected by an anti-wax moth door, which allows the bees easy access but keep wax moths out. The Beepol Lodge measures - Width 33cm x Height 33cm x Depth 28cm and The Beepol Cabin measures - Width 33cm x Height 33cm x Depth 28cm

 Ideal Gift - Order the Beepol Bumble Bee Lodge or Cabin with a VOUCHER for the bumblebees, so it can be given as a gift at anytime and then the recepient can request the bees from April onwards.

Tree Lodge Bracket - This wooden bracket is available seperately as an optional extra and is used to attach the Beepol Bumble Bee Lodge / Cabin to a wall, fence, or to a tree. Attach the bracket to the wall and the Beepol Bumble Bee Lodge , cabin simply sits on the bracket. This way the lodge/cabin is raised up off the ground and is ideal if you want to keep it away from children or pets or if the hive is going to be on public displays i.e. in schools.

Anti Wax-Moth Door - Bumblebee nests and hives can sometimes be invaded by wax moths. Wax moths lay their eggs within the bee nests and the larvae hatch and feed on the contents - a wax moth infestation is often fatal to the bumblebee nest. Signs of a wax moth infestation are initially long strands of silken webbing and then the appearance of grey/brown maggots amongst the bees brood cells. An Anti Wax-Moth Door is now available to protect exisiting BEEPOL Lodges from Wax Moths. The Anti Wax-Moth Door comprises of a trap door that attaches to the front of the BEEPOL Lodge.  The bumblebees soon learn how to push open the door to leave and return to the nest, however the Wax moths are neither strong enough or clever enough to do this! N.B. All Beepol lodges/cabins from now on WILL come with an anti wax-moth door ALREADY fitted.

Solitary Beehive - This beehive is designed specifically to attract non-swarming, solitary bees like the red mason and the blue orchard bee. The bees are naturally attracted to the holes in the wood as this simulates natural nesting sites, which are becoming harder to find. The Red Mason Bee (Osmia rufa) is active in the garden from March to July and is responsible for pollinating top fruit and soft fruit. The Blue Orchard Bee (Osmia lignaria) is active in the garden from May to September and is an effective pollinator of summer flowers, herbs and vegetables. By attracting both species of bees to your garden, you will ensure effective pollination of plants, trees, herbs and vegetables from March until September.
 

Solitary Beehive - This wooden beehive (bees prefer wooden nesting sites) has a durable timber roof and base with wooden nesting trays in-between, which are all held together with two stainless steel bolts - this allows easy access to the entire beehive. The solitary bees then lay their eggs inside the holes and seal them with mud or chewed up vegetation, so it is easy to tell if it is being used. The following year the adults and their offspring will use the same nest again building up the numbers of bees in your garden each year. Site the solitary beehive 1-2 metres high, in a sheltered site which catches the morning sun and near scented plants. A mud supply is useful, but not essential. Height x 200mm width x 180mm depth x 160mm. Approx weight 1.5kg.

Bumblebees are excellent pollinators of shrubs, trees, garden flowers and vegetables and are as useful to the gardener as mason bees. Place this nest in your garden in the spring in a south facing, sheltered spot, out of direct sunlight. Position at the base of a bush or evergreen shrub or against a wall / hedge to attract a nest-seeking queen from one of the six commonest species of Bumblebees. She will establish a colony, which will be active until early Autumn.

Bumble Bee Nest  - This wooden box with a transparent lid allows you to observe your bumble bee colony throughout the summer. The nest comes complete with the first year's nesting material, which the queen uses to make her nest and then lay her eggs. (Simply replace the nesting material each year with new straw or hay.) The eggs will hatch to produce the first workers, which then forage for nectar and pollen, allowing the queen to become an egg-laying machine. The males leave the nest and seek females and once mated, the new queen seeks a suitable place in which to hibernate over winter. Meanwhile, the males and the colony eventually die, leaving the hibernating queens to start the cycle again  the following spring. Height x 190mm width x 200mm depth x 140mm. Approx weight 1.5kg. Nest material/instructions and excellent Bumble Bee Guide are included.

"I received the Bee Boxes yesterday and just want to say how pleased I am with the construction, delivery and presentation - I am sure that my sister will be extremely pleased to receive them. I will certainly tell other people about and use your company again." Regards Liz Anderson

Bee Field Guide - This attractive 8 page laminated field guide features details on 28 species of bee, which can commonly be seen flying in our gardens. This filed guide helps you identify, understand and help the bees in your garden. The guide includes information on flight periods, distribution of each species in Britain, and useful pointers to help distinguish between similar-looking species. Each chart is laminated to make it shower-proof and robust for use outdoors. Clear colour illustrations and text by experts in the subject make these valuable resources for all age groups.

Butterfly and Bee Seeds - This mixture of seeds have been selected for their fragrance and colour and have been proven to attract butterflies and bees. It includes seeds from Shirley Poppy, Californian Poppy, Cornflower, Fairy Toadflax, Tickseed, Red Orache and Larkspur. They will give a long flowering period and are easy to sow and germinate. Sow anytime between Feb - June. Each 8g pack will sow 3-4 sqm.

Butterfly House and Feeder - The house provides a year round home in which butterflies and moths can roost, breed and hibernate. The special removable feed tray is designed and coloured to mimic garden flowers- the butterflies natural nectar source. It is coloured with a special ultra violet paint which is visible and attractive to butterflies. The feed tray has small nectar pots around the edge. Fill these with our own butterfly food or use sugar / water. It also has a large central pot for offering fruit. Butterflies will use these tray for feeding and be attracted to the house. Simply position in a warm sheltered spot in the morning sun to help to replace lost butterfly breeding sites. Butterflies will use the house for roosting. Small tortoiseshell, peacock and comma butterflies can use the house for hibernating. Silver winged fritillary may also use the house for breeding, laying eggs in the box and chrysalis could form on the roof. Dimensions 30cm x 15cm x 10cm.

N.B. Why not have a go at breeding your own butterflies? - Our Butterfly Breeding Kits come with everything you need to breed your own Painted Lady butterflies - watch them develop from caterpillar to butterflies. CLICK HERE to find out more.

Lacewing Chamber - Lacewing larvae eat greenfly and blackfly plus other insect pests. They occur naturally in your garden and unusually they overwinter as adults, but 90% of lacewings do not survive the winter because of a shortage of suitable shelter. By placing a Lacewing Chamber in your garden, many more of these beneficial insects will survive the winter to control pests in the spring. Position Lacewing Chambers in late summer. 

Lacewing Chamber - Place a lacewing chamber  in your garden during the late summer (Sept). The wooden chamber comes ready to use and consists of a sturdy wooden box which will last for years and a straw insert. The straw is treated with a strong pheromone attractant to entice the lacewings into their new home for the winter. 

Lacewing Chamber Refill - Replace the straw insert each year (Sept) to keep attracting lacewings.

"I bought lacewing larvae for a couple of years now and they’ve had a great affect on the aphids, so last autumn we put up a lacewing chamber too. Now I must admit that I was a little sceptical that it would actually work, but left it out and then stored it away for the winter. I put it out at the end of April (I only remembered when loads of aphids appeared on my roses) and I was pleasantly surprised to see little lacewing larvae just a couple of days later. Suffice to say the roses are now aphid free and the apple tree has stayed aphid free too. Many thanks for bringing to my attention a great natural product that really works." Regards Duncan

"It makes sense to offer these welcome garden visitors winter lodgings." Adam Pasco, Weekend Telegraph.