13/12/2023
How do you help the wildlife in your garden through the winter? There's plenty we can do to help - here are three ideas.
🐸 Frogs, toads and newts - all enter a state of torpor in winter, rather than hibernation. They overwinter in log and leaf piles, or beneath stones and plant pots. They're also fond of compost heaps, so be careful if forking over the heap. To help them, you can float a tennis ball or similar in your pond to prevent it freezing over completely. It's also a good idea to create a nearby rock pile, where they can take shelter. Ideally, this should face north, to avoid temperature highs and lows between day and night. You can also make a hibernaculum.
🐞 Insects - the key to helping them is to keep them cool and dry. If you do disturb them or have to move them, make sure they’re not exposed to damp conditions. This can lead to fungal infections and kill them. Bumblebees dig holes in the ground or rest in leaf litter, butterflies sleep in garages, sheds and between folds of curtains. Wasps, ladybirds and lacewings shelter under loose bark on logs and in cracks in door and window frames. You can recreate the nooks and crannies insects hibernate in by tying up bamboo and sunflower stems, and leave them in a dry spot in the garden. Leave areas of the garden untouched over winter and let areas of long grass remain unmown, so insects such as green shield bugs can shelter here.
🐦⬛ Birds are more likely to visit gardens as natural sources of insects and grubs run out. They need calorie-rich suet, sunflower hearts and peanuts to maintain fat reserves on frosty nights. In colder weather, look out for less common visitors, such as waxwings, blackcaps, redwings and bullfinches. Leave food out for birds every day. It's also a good idea to leave seeds on herbaceous plants and shrubs - and don't forget to keep your bird bath topped up.
