Attracting Wildlife to your Garden
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- 24-05-2018
Attracting Wildlife to your Garden
With Spring in full swing and summer on the horizon, it's approaching one of the busiest times for a gardener. The weather is warming and many of the UK's attractive species of butterflies and moths are beginning to emerge. If you would like to make your garden more wildlife friendly and inviting, here's a few tips on how to attract different types of animals to your garden:
Although small, insects are vital to the structure of the ecosystem. In the UK alone we have over 20,000 individual species including our favourite species of beetles, butterflies and moths.
There is often a diverse range of species in a domestic garden alone. You may need to incorporate different features if you wish to attract different types of insects.
If you want to attract butterflies and moths, herbs such as fennel, thistle and wildflowers are fantastic choices. You should look for nectar and pollen-rich flowers and minimise the use of any pesticides as they can be harmful to the larvae. For beetles, ladybirds and other creepy crawlies, building a bug hotel is the perfect family exercise. They can made to all shapes and sizes if you want to attract a specific species of insects.
Birds
As a nation, Britiain loves garden birds. We spend more £200 million a year on food to feed wild birds- and many of us don't think we do it enough! You don't need a big garden to have a feeding station. Most bird feeders can be hung from branches and come in a variety of sizes and designs to accommodate different kinds of food. If your garden can accommodate one, a bird table can sometimes also attract small mammals such as squirrels. There are many varieties of wild bird food available and some species of birds are known to have favourites. For example, niger seeds are a sure favourite for goldfinches, while our favourite, the robins prefer black oil sunflower seeds.
Mammals
Britain is home to 101 charming mammal species of all sizes which roam across all of our available habitats. Many of them will regularly visit a garden to forage for food, depending on the your location. If you are in an urban area in close proximity to a field or forest, you may be lucky to spot a hedgedog.
These once-common mammals are in rapid decline due to habitat defragmentation- they can't forage across gardens if they are met with a concrete fence. If your garden has a wooden fence around the perimeter, you can help by leaving food out and perhaps investing in a hedgehog shelter. Larger mammals such as foxes can be seen even in urban areas due to their amazing adaptability. They are partial to dog food, raw meats and occasionally, eggs.
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