How to make a beetle bump
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Friday, 3 April 2020 at 10:23 am
Boost the biodiversity in your garden, by creating a habitat for detritivores.
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A beetle bump is a collection of decomposing waste including logs, wood chippings and leaves. It makes the perfect habitat for detritivores, such as earthworms and woodlice. Nature’s recyclers, detritivores attract those further up the food chain, from beetles and centipedes, to hedgehogs, amphibians and birds. Many of these species also eat slugs and snails.
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A beetle bump will not only increase the diversity of detritivores and their predators in your garden, it will make your garden healthier as a result, reducing pest numbers and providing food for birds and other wildlife.
You Will Need
- Logs and branches
- Autumn leaves
- Garden fork or spade
- Bark chippings
Step 1
Make a beetle bump - removing top layer of earth
Remove the top layer of soil or turf and put this aside for later. Dig the area to remove roots of perennial weeds
Step 2
Make a beetle bump - adding fallen leaves
Add fallen leaves, wood chippings and twigs to the dug soil, to provide dry shelter and food. Wood chips create the perfect habitat for worms and woodlice
Step 3
Make a beetle bump - covering the mound with soil and turf
Cover the mound with the set aside layer of soil or turf. Don’t pack it too tightly as air pockets will provide shelter.
Step 4
Make a beetle bump - finishing off with logs
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Finish the bump with a couple of logs, which beetles and other species will hide beneath for food and shelter.
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