BUG-INGHAM PALACE Insect Hotel - Bristol, Rhode Island
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N 41° 42.628 W 071° 17.003
19T E 310035 N 4620149
The Audubon Society of Rhode Island Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol, Rhode Island, offers a natural history museum and Narragansett Bay marine life exhibit along with an insect hotel, butterfly garden and walking trails.
Waymark Code: WM165H4
Location: Rhode Island, United States
Date Posted: 05/10/2022
Views: 2
The
Audubon Society of Rhode Island Nature Center and Aquarium in Bristol, Rhode Island, offers a natural history museum and Narragansett Bay marine life exhibit. Its 28-acre Claire D. McIntosh Wildlife Refuge has ADA-certified walking trails that pass by a pollinator garden, an insect hotel, and butterfly garden in upland meadows to a half-mile (0.8 km) boardwalk through fresh and saltwater marshes to panoramic views of Narragansett Bay. The gardens were designed in 2018 by world-renowned landscape architect John Gwynne and are maintained with the help of volunteers of the University of Rhode Island Master Gardener Program.
The insect hotel - dubbed BUG-ingham Palace -- beside the pollinator garden and adjacent to the butterfly garden, is in the northeast corner of the property near the main building and parking area. It is made from four wooden wall segments divided into 1-cubic-foot, open-faced compartments. Each wall section has nine to twelve compartments filled with a variety of habitat-friendly materials. A posted plaque reads:
BUG-INGHAM PALACE
Many bees, beetles and bugs nest in Audubon's insect hotel.
Can you spot any insect activity?
WHAT'S INSIDE?
While it might not look like a typical five-star
accommodation, this hotel is full of nesting
sites for many species of insects and other
arthropods.
The 'rooms' of this hotel are filled with different kinds of habitat, appealing to a variety
or insects. For example, solitary bees and
wasps prefer to lay their eggs in holes drilled
into wood, while bundles of twigs and sticks
are more welcoming to ground beetles.
WHAT'S THE BENEFIT?
Pollinators and other insects are declining
due to pesticide use, diseases and loss of
habitat. By giving insects a safe place to
burrow and nest, Audubon helps them
survive through the colder months. This is
called overwintering.
In the spring and summer, insects benefit
from the pollinator garden, fields and other
habitat on this Wildlife refuge. Bug-ingam
Palace provides insects with a place to live
and lay eggs.
WHO COMES TO STAY HERE?
Bees and other insects are
critical pollinators for gardens
orchards and crops.
Ladybugs. spiders, green lacewings,
wood-boring beetles and
other insects prey on aphids,
mites and garden pests.
These beneficial insects also
provide a food source for
our feathered friends.
Bug-ingham Palace has become home to bird
species such as the Carolina
Wren. They can feast on insects
right outside their door!
HELP INSECTS IN YOUR GARDEN
Make your own insect hotel from recycled
materials. Try using a wooden box that's
open at one end.
Plant wildflowers and other native plant
species in your garden that are beneficial
for pollinators and other insects.
Reduce pesticide use that can kill valuable
pollinators and other insects. Let the helpful
insects hunt garden pests for you!
Hours:
Summer Hours
(Mid-April to Mid-October)
Open 9:30AM - 4:30PM daily
Trails and grounds open daily, sunrise to sunset.
Admission:
Adult $6.00
Senior $5.00
Child (ages 4-12) $4.00
Child (under 4) free
Audubon Society of RI Members FREE
Trails and grounds - FREE