As town officials debate the merits of zoning for hotel developments in town, a few new lodgings have already opened for business. For bugs, at least.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Bug hotels, which are exactly what they sound like—miniature “homes” that offer a safe space for insects seeking respite from the cold, wind, or rain, or a place to reproduce and hibernate— are often created using recycled materials. They’re typically about the size of a bird house and attract creatures that help to pollinate gardens as well as keep pests at bay.
“The point of the hotel is so bugs don’t die and then you get no trees, no food, no flowers,” said Aliyah Jablonski, 9. “And if there’s no bugs, there’s also no grass or any plant really, which means no life at all. I like life.”
Built by members of Girl Scout Troop 83211, the bug hotels were recently placed at various locations, including on the grounds of Unitarian Universalist Church on Concord Avenue, and the patio of Bellmont Cafe on Leonard Street.
Paige Boomhower, Faye Boomhower and Aliyah Jablonski. (Mary Byrne/Belmont Voice) 
A bug hotel. (Mary Byrne/Belmont Voice) 
Aliyah Jablonski with a bug hotel. (Mary Byrne/Belmont Voice) 
Troop Leader Stephanie Buckler. (Mary Byrne/Belmont Voice) 
From left to right: Paige Boomhower, Ellie Goodrich, Aliyah Jablonski, and Faye Boomhower pose for a photo with Bellmont Cafe owner Rachid Smairi. (Mary Byrne/Belmont Voice) 
Ellie Goodrich, 10, hangs a bug hotel at Bellmont Cafe. (Mary Byrne/Belmont Voice)
“The first thing they learned about was pollinators and how across the world, because plants are being cut down, that’s problematic for our bugs,” said Troop leader Stephanie Buckler. “They can’t eat, they can’t live, there’s no place for them.”
The girls then took a trip to the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens where they learned about plants, bugs and the ecosystem at large.
“We went to the gardens, they taught us a lot about nature and how we need a lot of bugs and they need an environment to stay in,” said Paige Boomhower, 9.
Faye Boomhower, 9, echoed her sister.
“A lot of [bugs] are actually good,” she said. Mosquitoes, for example, may be irritating pests, but they also serve a purpose in the ecosystem— they’re food for other creatures.
When it was time to build, the troop members used kits purchased online that include cedar wood, mesh, paint, and the necessary tools to construct the hotels. All finished, the bug hotel is designed to attract pollinators, including ladybugs, bees and butterflies, among others.
“I learned that everything needs a chance to live,” said Ellie Goodrich, 10.
Rachid Smairi, owner of Bellmont Cafe, watched on a recent afternoon as the girls learned how to hang the hotel on the white fence at the back of the restaurant’s patio. He said when the Troop first approached him about his cafe as a location for a potential bug hotel, he was all in. Helping these girls to make a difference in their community was important to him.
“Feeling like I’m part of the project, and seeing the smiles on their faces—that makes all the difference,” he said.