Insect conservation study centre

The Insect Conservation Study Centre is a magnificent example of how nature and education can work hand in hand. It is a five chamber hand made from FSC timber construction. Top floor - is the solar powered insect attic. This area features a solar light and illuminated chamber with access door at the rear. The light has an attracting effect allows nocturnal study if insects. The solar powered light can be set to automatically turn on at dusk and off at dawn. Chamber two - is the traditional multi insect, over wintering area which will provide insulated nooks and crannies for a wide range of insects including ladybirds and lacewings, both of which help the organic gardener to rid his plot of Aphids. in the roof adjacent to the chamber are two viewing tubes, these side in and out to allow you to view solitary bees or other insects inside the tubes, always leave the tubes pushed back so the insects are in the dark and only leave them open to view for a maximum of thirty minutes. Chamber three - is the big bug inspection cassette. A giant magnifying glass is concealed in the door to form the big bug area where insects can be temporarily housed and viewed before being released. Insects can be viewed through the magnifying glass, or by removing the cassette and studying them close up. Another option for the chamber is to remove the cassette and fill the chamber with a food source or plant material attractive to insects. Chamber four - The Lacewing chamber. This chamber is pre-filled with natural straw and provides the ideal over wintering space for lacewings, which are voracious eaters of aphids. You can use Lacewing attractant in the Autumn. This area can also be filled with bark for Ladybirds and other insects. Chamber five - Solitary bee study centre a unique interactive solitary bee study chamber, featuring removable trays for the study of developing solitary bees. These bees are safe around children and pets, they do not swarm and are non-aggressive. Other bees like the Mason bee and the Megachille bee (leaf circles) will fill the chambers in the Spring and Summer. From early Autumn the bolts at the base can be loosened to release the trays for inspection. The cell formation is fascinating and the eggs will develop over the Winter into larvae then bees. Sometimes predators will be seen. It is best to close the trays tightly after viewing and restrict opening of the trays to 30 minutes. This insect conservation study centre is a sizeable piece of garden furniture, it weighs approximately 10Kg and is 800mm high, ideally it would be sited to catch the morning sun and located between ground level and 2.5m high. [gallery]