Buying animal havens 'waste of money'

In a year-long trial by Which? Gardening magazine, not a single butterfly was seen to use the Gardman Butterfly Haven (14.99), no lacewings were seen visiting the Chapelwood Lacewing Chamber (22.95) and just one ladybird was seen checking into the Crocus Ladybird Hotel (9.99).

Which? tested six different wildlife homes in 10 gardens, mostly in and around Sheffield, with an expert monitoring and inspecting the sites regularly until August 2010.

The expert deemed hedgehog shelter the Hoggy Home (69) "expensive and unnecessary".

The Hedgehog Preservation Society says hedgehogs should be able to build their own shelters as long as there is a supply of nesting materials, such as leaves, grass and straw and a suitable place to nest.

And while not a single bee was seen visiting the Wildlife World Bumble Bee Nester (26.99), the accompanying instructions to capture a queen bee in early spring and trap it inside worried conservation experts.

Which? Gardening editor Ceri Thomas said: "There are many other ways to attract wildlife in to your garden, and people shouldn't be fooled into thinking that these attractive shop-bought abodes are worth the price tags they come with."

Instead, it recommends building a log pile to attract insects and hedgehogs looking for a place to nest and start a compost heap to provide feed for birds, hedgehogs and toads.