A friend of mine has bought a garden in Dresden recently. The previous owner has left a few strange bundles of sticks hanging around, but we can't figure out what their purpose is. Any idea?
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are they aromatic? (They might have lost all smell now so you may have to scratch one).– Frames Catherine WhiteCommented Apr 26, 2016 at 0:29
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witchcraft, maybe?– MissMonicaECommented May 10, 2018 at 18:34
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3 Answers
Those are impromptu homes for beneficial insects, from tiny bees or wasps to earwigs. They are intended as shelter, especially for overwintering, and as place to lay their eggs.
More complex structures use different materials and hole sizes, the common German term would be "Insektenhotel", English "insect hotel".
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Earwigs are only "beneficial" if they have enough food without chomping up your plants and flowers! But I would be surprised if earwigs found their way into "homes" like that - they prefer damp conditions to climbing walls and trees. Commented Apr 25, 2016 at 16:41
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@Stephie got it! In Michigan we use these for homes for tiny bees. The sticks look like bamboo, so they will have holes in them.– BulrushCommented May 3, 2016 at 13:41
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1Note to all: Oddly enough if I don't touch my open ended garden hose long enough, I've had leaf-cutter bees and wasps make a nest in there. Hint: Keep a cap of some sort on the hose end. :)– BulrushCommented May 3, 2016 at 13:45
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This kind of bamboo stick nests are intended specifically to attract Syrphidae whose larvae are a great aphids predator.– GabCommented Jun 17, 2019 at 14:20
Lots of purposes, including support for many plants (including small Eggplants, tomato plants etc - When we were growing Eggplants, they came with similar (but more expensive I suspect) sticks from the nursery. These sticks may have come with plants the previous owner bought ?
I've also used them to keep frost-cloth from touching the leaves of my plants.
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So they are bundled there for storage? But there are bundles hung from trees too, I'll add a photo– JorilCommented Apr 25, 2016 at 9:15
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1That is bizarre - from the second photo, those sticks are much bigger then the ones I have (the first photo did not give me an accurate impression of there size)– davidgoCommented Apr 25, 2016 at 9:18
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This kind of structure (with hollow sticks) is intended for attracting Syrphidae because larvae are a great aphids predator.
