The best bug hotel fillings, compared.
Top pick: POPETPOP 100 reed tubes, 15 cm Best value: MAGICLULU 100 reed tubes, 15 cm – The cheaper of the two 100-piece reed packs that are not described as open both ends, at about £9.99. Updated October 2026.
Bug hotel filling is the loose material you pack into a house, a tin or a plant pot. UK packs in this category are mostly hollow reed, wheat-stalk or bamboo tubes for cavity-nesting bees. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust counts over 270 bee species here, with close to 250 solitary. Buglife notes that about four in five native bee species nest in the ground, so tubes suit only that cavity-nesting minority. You judge a tube by the hole, the length and the back. UK guides cluster on an internal bore of about 2–10 mm. Red mason bees are often given about 7–8 mm, and leafcutters about 6–8 mm. Holes wider than 10 mm miss many UK bees, and a 3–5 mm pack suits smaller stems. Aim for at least about 15 cm, one closed end, and tubes set back from the rain. The wall should be dry, and you should be able to remove used tubes after the adults emerge. Bore, length and a closed back are set out in the [bug hotel filling buying guide](/hub/garden-supplies/bug-hotel-filling/sub/bug-hotel-filling-buying-guide).
Bug hotel filling is the loose material you pack into a house, a tin or a plant pot. UK packs in this category are mostly hollow reed, wheat-stalk or bamboo tubes for cavity-nesting bees.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What size hole are you filling?
The POPETPOP pack is 100 natural reed tubes at about £13.99, listed at 15 cm, with product dimensions of 15 × 0.8 × 0.8 cm and a weight of 120 g. On amazon.co.uk it is 4.5 from 2 reviews. A UK review measured about 6 mm inside and about 8 mm outside, which sits in the 6–8 mm leafcutter band, and said the edges seemed smooth. The same review says the tubes are open at both ends. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust says bees will not use nesting tubes that are open at both ends, so this pack needs a back you add yourself. That review also says the reeds are slippery, need to sit inside something to stay dry, and were held with an elastic band and then string in a bundle about 9 cm across. Two reviews cannot carry a 4.5 as a settled rank. It costs about £4 more than the £9.99 reed pack, and the open ends are why it is not the top pick.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You will add a solid back and a dry case, and you want a review measurement near 6 mm inside.
Less suitable: You need a closed tube out of the packet, or you are paying about £13.99 for a back the listing does not include.
Specifications
Common questions
Are the tubes closed at one end?
A UK review says they are open at both ends. The bullets do not describe a node or a back board.
What size did the UK review measure?
The review says about 6 mm inner and about 8 mm outer, 15 cm long, 100 tubes. The specification line is 15 x 0.8 x 0.8 cm and 120 g.
Do they need a case?
The same UK review says the reeds need to sit inside something to stay dry, and that a band and string were used to hold a bundle about 9 cm across.
The TOYANDONA pack is 100 natural reed tubes at about £10.49. Each tube is listed at 15 cm with an inner diameter of 0.5–0.8 cm, which is 5–8 mm, and the item dimensions are 15 × 0.8 × 0.8 cm at 90 g. That inner band sits inside the 2–10 mm spread UK nest-box guides publish, and it overlaps the 6–8 mm leafcutter size and the 7–8 mm red-mason size those guides name. On amazon.co.uk it is 4.2 from 4 reviews. The only United Kingdom text says the bees took to the new tubes straight away. A German review, which is not a UK opinion, says about 10 of the 100 tubes were crushed in a paper bag, so the pack can arrive damaged. The listing does not say whether a node or a solid back is present, and the box does not include a hotel. It is the top pick in this set because the inner bore is printed and a UK review reports bees using the tubes, and you still close any end that arrives open.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already have a dry box and you want 15 cm reeds with a printed inner bore of 5–8 mm.
Less suitable: You need the listing to confirm a closed back, or you are treating four reviews as a large sample.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the tube made of, and how many are in the pack?
The bullets say natural reeds and a count of 100. Length is 15 cm and the stated inner diameter is 0.5–0.8 cm.
Does the listing say the tubes are closed at the back?
No. The listing does not say whether a node or a solid back is present.
What is in the UK review?
The UK text says the bees took to the new tubes straight away. A German review, not a UK one, says about 10 of 100 tubes were crushed in a paper bag.
The MAGICLULU pack is 100 natural reed tubes at about £9.99, listed at 15 cm and 5–8 mm, with a weight of 100 g. The bullet does not say whether 5–8 mm is the hole or the outside of the cane, so you cannot read it as the bore a bee enters. On amazon.co.uk it is 3.9 from 8 reviews, the largest count in this set, and still a small sample. Two UK reviews call the tubes too small, and one of those says some bees have used them. Another UK review praises clean tubes with no splinters or cracks. A separate UK review says blue tits keep pulling the tubes out of the bug hotel, and the listing does not mention a mesh guard. A storage holder is named in the included line and is not described further, and the ends are not stated. At 50p under the 100-piece reed pack that prints an inner diameter, it is the best value in this set if you measure the hole before you pack the box.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 15 cm reed refill near this price, and you will measure the hole before the tubes go into the box.
Less suitable: You need a printed inner diameter, or you have no way to stop birds pulling loose tubes out.
Specifications
Common questions
What size does the listing state?
Each tube is 15 cm long with a 5–8 mm diameter. The bullet does not say whether 5–8 mm is the hole or the outside.
What do the UK reviews say about the bore?
Two UK reviews call the tubes too small. One of those says some bees have used them. Another review praises clean tubes with no splinters or cracks.
Does a review mention birds?
One UK review says blue tits keep pulling the tubes out of the bug hotel. The listing does not mention a mesh guard.
The JACKANNA pack is 200 natural bamboo tubes at about £22.75, about 200 mm long, and it is the only bamboo in this set. One bullet prints an inner diameter of 6–8 mm, and if that inner line is the one you trust, it matches the leafcutter and red-mason end of the 2–10 mm range UK guides use. The same listing prints an outer diameter of 5–10 mm, and those two ranges cannot all be true on one tube. The listing says the tubes are open on both sides, and included components are none, so there is no back board in the box. On amazon.co.uk it is 3.3 from 3 ratings. The two texts in the file are from Germany, not the United Kingdom: they describe hard, even tubes, with little visible fibre, and one says a saw will cut them. A German species line on the listing is not the UK bee count, the carton size is 20 × 9 × 9 cm, and item weight is not stated. It is the bamboo option when you will close the open ends and you can ignore a diameter line that contradicts itself.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want about 20 cm bamboo, you will close one end, and you have a saw if a cane needs shortening.
Less suitable: You need a UK review, a closed node in the packet, or a diameter line that agrees with itself.
Specifications
Common questions
What bore does the listing print?
One bullet says inner diameter 6–8 mm and outer diameter 5–10 mm. Those ranges cannot all be true for the same tube. Length is about 200 mm.
Are the bamboo tubes closed?
The listing says the tubes are open on both sides. Included components are listed as none, so no back board is in the box.
Are the written reviews from the UK?
The two texts in the file are from Germany. They describe hard, even tubes. There is no United Kingdom review text. The score is 3.3 from 3 ratings.
The BOBOZHONG pack is 300 tubes at about £9.39, listed at 20 cm with an inner diameter of 3–5 mm and a weight of 90 g. The title says natural reed, while a bullet says natural wheat stalks and wheat straw, and the colour field says natural wheat yellow, so the material is not settled from the page. An inner bore of 3–5 mm is the small end of the 2–10 mm spread UK nest-box guides publish. It is tighter than the 7–8 mm red-mason size named by BWARS, and it can suit smaller stem-nesters. The bullet says the stalks can be cut, with 10–15 cm as the example. The file does not say whether the tubes are open or closed, and assembly required is set to yes. On amazon.co.uk it is 3.0 from 1 review, and there is no review text, so nothing in the file describes a bee using these stems. At about 3p a piece it is the cheapest pack by count, and that price is not evidence the stems match a reed title or a mason-bee hole.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a large pack of 20 cm stems at a printed inner bore of 3–5 mm, and you will check reed or wheat when the parcel arrives.
Less suitable: You are filling for red mason bees at about 8 mm, or you need a review that describes bees using the tubes.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing say reed or wheat?
The title says natural reed tubes. A bullet says natural wheat stalks and wheat straw. Both lines are on the page, so the material is not settled.
What bore and length are printed?
The bullet prints an inner diameter of 3–5 mm and a length of 20 cm. It also says the stalks can be cut, with 10–15 cm as the example.
Are the tube ends described?
The listing does not say whether the tubes are open or closed. Assembly required is set to yes, and there is no review text.
Five amazon.co.uk listings were scored from the shelf prices, star lines and review notes in the display file. There is no laboratory test. A star rating on one to eight reviews is not treated as a large UK sample. Conservation guides explain the bore, the length and a closed back. They are not a measurement of these packs. The highest score is the top pick, once. Best value is the cheaper of the two 100-piece reed packs that are not described as open both ends, once the clearest printed inner bore has taken the top score. The weights below sum to 100.
Amazon evidence
30%Stars divided by 5, times 22, rounded to the nearest whole number. Then +6 at 8 reviews, +3 at 4 reviews, +1 at 2 or 3 reviews, and +0 at 1 review. Minus 6 when the file has no review text. Minus 4 when the written reviews are not from the United Kingdom.
Listing fit
35%Ends not stated, −8. Ends stated as open both ways, −14. Bore not identified as the hole, −8. Inner bore stated only as 3–5 mm, −6. Title and bullet disagree on the material, −8. Inner and outer ranges that cannot both be true, −8. A side dimension, where a UK review then measures the hole, is −4 rather than −8.
Review outcome
20%A UK text that describes bees using the tubes scores higher than a file with no text, a German-only file, or a UK text that says the tubes are open at both ends.
Value
15%Shelf price against a 15 cm reed whose hole is in or near 5–8 mm. The lowest price per stem does not win when the bore is the small end, the material lines clash, or the only rating has no text. An open-ended pack does not win on a higher star line.
Buy filling for a box you already have. A roof, a stand and a pre-filled house are a different product. The split is the hole a bee enters, a length of at least about 15 cm, and a closed back. Piece count and a low price per stem come after those three. Stars on one to eight reviews do not settle the bore. None of the scores is a laboratory test.
Bug hotel filling is the loose material you pack into a house, a tin or a plant pot. A roof, a stand and a pre-filled house belong with finished insect hotels. In the United Kingdom the packs that match this category are mostly hollow reed, wheat-stalk or bamboo tubes for cavity-nesting bees. Cardboard tubes exist on amazon.co.uk and are outside this set. Drilled untreated wood is a hotel you make, not a refill bag. Cones, bark, straw and dry leaves fill other compartments.
A roof, a stand and a pre-filled house are a different product. This comparison is the loose tubes you pack into a box, a tin or a pot you already have. Cones and dry leaves are a ladybird filling, not a mason-bee tube.
UK guides cluster on an internal bore of about 2–10 mm. A 5–8 mm line that does not say inner or outer is not yet the hole a bee enters. A 3–5 mm inner bore suits smaller stems and misses the usual 7–8 mm red-mason size. Holes over 10 mm are too wide for many UK bees.
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust says bees will not use tubes open at both ends. Cut bamboo just beyond a node, or block the rear, and keep the tubes shorter than the box so rain misses the holes. Damp kills larvae. Replace used canes after the adults emerge.
Start with the hole a bee enters, not the outside of the cane. Buglife, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, BWARS, the RHS, the Natural History Museum and NatureScot cluster on about 2–10 mm inside. Red mason bees are often given 7–8 mm, and NatureScot says ideally about 8 mm. Leafcutters are given about 6–8 mm. Holes over 10 mm are too wide for many UK bees. A pack printed only as 3–5 mm inside suits smaller stems and misses that red-mason size.
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust says bees will not use tubes open at both ends. BWARS and the Natural History Museum say cut bamboo just beyond a node, or block the rear. Several packs do not describe the ends. Others say the tubes are open both ways, including a UK review that measured about 6 mm inside and found both ends open. You then add the back yourself. A higher star line does not repair an open tube. The wall should breathe. Avoid plastic and glass.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You already own a dry box and you need a printed hole more than a new house. The TOYANDONA pack is 100 natural reed tubes at about £10.49, listed at 15 cm with an inner diameter of 0.5–0.8 cm. It is 4.2 from 4 amazon.co.uk reviews. The listing does not confirm a closed back, so you still check the ends.
You want a small 100-piece bundle for a pot or a school project, and you will measure the hole. The MAGICLULU pack is 100 reed tubes at about £9.99, listed at 15 cm and 5–8 mm, with 3.9 from 8 reviews. The listing does not say whether 5–8 mm is the hole or the outside. One UK review says blue tits pull the tubes out.
You want about 20 cm bamboo, you will close one end, and an adult can shorten a cane with a saw. The JACKANNA pack is 200 bamboo tubes at about £22.75, with an inner line of 6–8 mm. The listing says the tubes are open on both sides, and the outer line of 5–10 mm conflicts with that inner line. The written reviews are German, and the score is 3.3 from 3 ratings.
The top pick is the TOYANDONA pack of 100 natural reed tubes at about £10.49, listed at 15 cm with an inner diameter of 0.5–0.8 cm (5–8 mm). It leads on score: 4.2 from 4 amazon.co.uk reviews, and the United Kingdom text says the bees took to the new tubes straight away. The listing does not say whether the back is closed, and a German review says about 10 of 100 tubes were crushed in a paper bag. The best value is the MAGICLULU pack of 100 reed tubes at about £9.99, listed at 15 cm and 5–8 mm, with 3.9 from 8 reviews. That 5–8 mm line is not labelled inner or outer. Two UK reviews call the tubes too small, one says some bees used them, and one says blue tits pull the tubes out.
MAGICLULU 100 reed tubes, 15 cm
The cheaper of the two 100-piece reed packs that are not described as open both ends, at about £9.99.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources for this comparison. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk listings in this set. Page updated 22 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Lee Burkhill (Garden Ninja) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk listings. This is not a laboratory test.
