Urban Ark – Manawa Taiao
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  1. Home
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  3. The Workshop
  4. Build a wētā hotel

Build a wētā hotel

One of the best ways to attract wētā to your garden is to give them somewhere they can make their home.

Tree wētā prefer holes in trees, but we can mimic those conditions in a wētā hotel. There are so many ways you can do this.

Predator Free Wellington have a great idea for making a wētā motel from an old yoga mat.

DOC have come up with designs for both a 3-star and a 5-star motels.

Here’s a nice idea for one made from a round of willow (PDF, 127.20 kB).

Try a simple model using bamboo…

… or a more sophisticated model suitable for home handyfolk.

In this section

  • Resources
    • The Workshop
      • Making trap tunnels
      • Rat-proof your compost
      • Build a wētā hotel
      • Nest boxes for ruru
    • Tool library
    • Pest animal monitoring
      • Chew cards
      • Wax tags
      • Tracking tunnels
    • Manage pets
    • Being a good citizen
    • Flood Resilience
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© Urban Ark – Manawa Taiao 2026

Photo credits: Bartek Wyptch (grey warbler)

Urban Ark – Manawa Taiao logo: Glenn Jones

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      • Friends of Maungawhau
      • Ngā Ringa o Te Auaunga Friends of Oakley Creek
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      • Weona Lemington Coastal Forest Restoration Group
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      • Pest Free Gladstone
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      • STEPS
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      • Conservation Volunteeers NZ
      • Chamberlain Conservation Group
      • Waiōrea Restoration Group
      • Te Waiōrea
      • Tītīkōpuke Habitat Initiative
      • Friends of Wairaki Stream
      • Friends of Waikowhai Park
      • Friends of Belfast Reserve
      • Friends of Grey Lynn Park
    • Pest animal control
      • Trapping activity maps
      • Trap rats
      • Trap possums
      • Trap stoats
      • Trap hedgehogs
      • Trap mice
      • Control wasps
      • Humane trapping
      • Pulsing
      • ID your rodent
    • Regular Restoration Sessions
    • Pest plant control
    • Plant natives
    • Back gardens
    • Education
      • Te Wai Ōrea Education Programme
      • Schools Engagement Programme
    • Connect: our socials and newsletter
    • Other ways you can help
  • Biodiversity
    • Ngā manu / birds
      • Kākā
      • Kākāriki
      • Kererū
      • Korimako / Bellbird
      • Riroriro / Grey Warbler
      • Ruru / Morepork
      • Tūī
      • Rogues gallery
    • Ngā pekepeka / bats
    • Ngā mokomoko / skinks and geckos
    • Ngā Pūrerehua / butterflies and moths
    • Ngā tuaiwi-kore / invertebrates
    • Taiao / Landscapes
      • Maunga / volcanoes
      • Awa / streams
        • Te Auaunga / Oakley Creek
      • Ngahere / forests
        • Lava Rock Forests
  • Resources
    • The Workshop
      • Making trap tunnels
      • Rat-proof your compost
      • Build a wētā hotel
      • Nest boxes for ruru
    • Tool library
    • Pest animal monitoring
      • Chew cards
      • Wax tags
      • Tracking tunnels
    • Manage pets
    • Being a good citizen
    • Flood Resilience
  • News
  • Events
  • About us
    • Operations Team
    • Trust Board
    • Partners
    • Vision
    • Plan
    • Origin
  • Visit us
  • Support us