Wildlife can really struggle at times, particularly in the winter months. With extreme weather, the wildlife we see in our gardens can sometimes find it hard to fight against the elements. Whether they have to fight it out, find food and water or the hibernate they all face a challenging time. We can help them to overcome some of the problems by completing simple tasks in our gardens.
Have a look below at the ways you can help wildlife this winter:
Allow Your Garden To Go Wild
Although you may want to have a pristine garden in the spring and summer so you can sit and relax in the sunshine, the autumn and winter months are the perfect time to allow your garden to go a bit wild and help support all sorts of wildlife. Try leaving undisturbed wild areas such as piles of leaves and these can make a perfect nest where an animal can rest, hide and hibernate. If you leave the borders of your garden until the early spring you are also roving a decent home for any insects like beetles and spiders. Compost heaps serve as a brilliant habitat for frogs and toads.
Break Ice
When the winter months arrive it’s bound to bring some ice so, if you have a garden pond, ensure you make a hole in the ice. Otherwise, you risk toxic gases building up in the water, which may kill any fish or frogs that are hibernating. carefully place a pan of hot water on the surface to do this. You should never break the ice with force or tip boiling water onto the pond, this could harm or even kill any fish that live there.
Take Care Of The Birds
You will find that birds struggle the most in the winter and they find it difficult to find natural foods such as berries, insects, worms, seeds and fruit during the colder months. Therefore, you can really help by putting out extra food. Look to provide a range of seeds, fresh peanuts that are unsalted and some table scraps such as cheese and fruits like apples. Having good bird feeders in your garden is great way to support these garden creatures.
Supply Fresh Water
Providing clean, freshwater and food will encourage visiting hedgehogs to return time and time again to your garden. Even cat or dog food can entice these prickly creatures and really give them a helping hand. Having items such as birdbaths really helps too, as birds need to have clean feathers in order to stay waterproof and warm in the cold elements they have to face in the winter. Hedgehogs will also appreciate a fresh bowl of water being left out for them much like a cat or dog, just makes sure you change it on a regular basis and watch out for freezing weather.
These are just a few ways that you can help your garden wildlife this winter, do you have any other methods that you can share in the comments section?