Why build a Frog Hotel?
The new emerging trend of frog hotels are becoming more popular across Australia, specifically in Brisbane, Darwin and Sydney, where we are seeing a decreased population of tree frogs. By building a Frog Hotel, we are able to give them a better chance of survival with temporary homes.
Whether you want a fun project for the weekend, or nature is a bit more of your thing, we’ll show you how to build your own Frog Hotel, to keep our little friends happy coming into Autumn and Winter.
Please keep in mind that these only suit tree frogs as they are able to climb up slippery surfaces with their suction pads!
What you need to get started:
Making a Frog Hotel can be as simple or fancy as you like! We have made a guide using different sizes of PVC Pipe and some PVC Elbows. Feel free to decorate or paint your pipe however you like! Keep in mind to use pet friendly paint or low VOC paint. We recommend using a small hand saw to cut the pipe.
Download our shopping list below to easily see what pipe you need for this project. All of these parts only cost around $25, depending in what options you choose!
Pipe and Decorations:
- 90mm PVC Pipe – 1m Length
- 40mm PVC Pipe – 1m Length
- 25mm PVC Pipe – 1m Length
- 90mm 90º PVC Elbow x 2
- 25mm 45º PVC Elbow x 1
Optional Extras:
- Large Pot x 1
- Bag of mixed pebbles x 1
- Any colour paint
- Contact paper
- Water fountain / Water feature
STEP 1:
Cut your pipe in your required sizes. We think its great to have a few different heights for the frogs! Place the two 90mm Elbows onto one end of the 90mm Pipe. Place the 25mm Elbow onto the end of the 25mm Pipe.
STEP 2:
If you are decorating your pipe, you can do that now! Because we are leaving ours blank, we have started to dig holes in the ground deep enough for the pipes to stay secure. If you are putting your Frog Hotel in a pot, hold the pipe together and pour the pebbles around to keep the pipe to keep it in place.
STEP 3:
Add any finishing touches like signs or garden lights then it’s time to admire your work!! If you have a pot, you may like to add water to your pot now – this will make your frogs feel extra comfortable and even promote tadpoles. If you have placed your pipe in the ground like us, we don’t suggest filling them with water. You can however, place a small saucer on the outside with some water for them!
Don’t forget to tag us in your photos! Use #SMARTGARDENER and #HOLMANHOTEL in your images!
Other Frog Hotel Resources:
Here are some other great Frog Hotels that have already been built! This article on Kidspot has some fun ideas for those looking for a fancy Hotel. Bunnings has made a great video for an in-ground Frog Hotel, check it out here.
If you live in WA, the Western Australian Museum can help you identify the types of frogs you can find!
Thanks for the reminder! Fabulous ideas and easy instructions
I am going to make a couple of frog hotels for my garden…so excited can’t wait 😉
Thanks so much I’ll make sure I do this!