Gardening Tips > November > ‘How to’? Care for Wildlife in Your Winter Garden

‘How to’? Care for Wildlife in Your Winter Garden

The majority of mammals, amphibians and insects prepare themselves to find a nice cosy spot to hibernate over winter until spring. Creating winter homes in a wildlife friendly spot of your garden is very easy.

Log Piles

Log piles are simple to create and attract an assortment of mini-beasts. Leftover branches from autumn pruning can be piled up and left to rot naturally. Ideally, place it in a damp spot away from extremes in temperatures i.e. behind a shed.

Bug Hotels

All nooks and crannies are a haven for insects in the garden. These can be recreated by tying up bamboo stems and leaving them in dry spots or by purchasing ‘mini-beast hotels’ to hang in secluded spots.

If you are feeling creative why not build your own bug hotel (read our ‘How to‘).

 

Frogs and Toads

Frogs and toads can be found hibernating underneath stones and upturned pots. Additional stones and stone tiles can be placed at the base of ponds to provide some crevices for amphibians to hide underneath.

Hedgehogs

Sadly, almost half of the hedgehog population can die in winter from starvation and being unable to survive the cold weather. Provide hedgehogs with a warm place to hibernate by making a leaf pile or for a more permanent residence, purchase a hedgehog house.

A plain, meat based pet food and water can be left for hedgehogs to boost their fat reserves. However, stop feeding as soon as winter sets in as you want them to hibernate.

Read our ‘How to‘ guide for more information.

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