Consider a Bug Snug

by Laura Lemmon


snug bug



Cleaning up the garden? Consider building a bug snug to benefit insects, birds, and small mammals.

Throughout the year, insects seek places to overwinter or hide. Many are already nestled in native plant stems. Birds and small mammals look for shelter and for food. Think of a bug snug as a neater and more decorative way to make a brush pile for them. Perhaps, one that’s even nice-looking enough to charm that picky neighbor.

Assembling the bug snug is easy. First, build a tripod frame. Determine the site for the bug snug and place three sturdy branches or bamboo poles, four to six feet long, to make the tripod. Connect the three sticks with a zip tie or twine (or both) at the top. Gently press or pound the ends of the sticks in the ground for stability.

Second, the fun part. Collect plant materials from the garden or tree line: sticks, plant stems (including seed pods) and leaves, evergreen branches, pine straw, oak leaves, moss, and pine cones are all good.

Third, fill the frame with your collection. In this example, items were placed from the bottom up, adding more material as the snug settled. Only Virginia native plants, flower stems and seed pods were used in case they germinated. Avoid invasive plants and their seeds for the same reason. This initial build used two trugs full of found items and sticks. (That’s a lot of plant material.) With the addition of a hedgehog, the bug snug adds interest in a "wild" portion of the property.


Resources
https://www.gardenista.com/.../bug-snug-easy-free-diy.../
https://extension.umn.edu/.../snug-bug-pile-leaves-how...

Photo by Laura Lemmon






Sow You Know articles are weekly gardening tips written by
Goochland Powhatan Master Gardeners.

For information about other gardening subjects, please contact our help desk: gpmastergardener@gmail.com




Virginia Cooperative Extension


Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments. Its programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, military status, or any other basis protected by law.