As the UK continues to face cold temperatures, founder of GardeningExpress.co.uk, Chris Bonnett, is encouraging Brits to look out for local wildlife by leaving out a fresh water supply, high-energy foods and keeping one area of the garden untidy. This past week, the temperatures dropped significantly and there’s no doubt we all felt the cold, but we’re not the only ones.
As days become shorter and colder weather settles in, food sources become scarce and animals start to build fat reserves and look for safe places to overwinter. This means even small changes to our gardens and other green spaces have a big impact. A neatly cut lawn for example looks tidy and well-kept to us, but for hedgehogs, frogs and insects it means the loss of warm shelter.
Helping wildlife through this time of year doesn’t require a big grand gesture. In fact, it’s often the small gestures that make the biggest difference to them and how they survive the cold.
Leaving leaf piles, putting out fresh water that’s not frozen, offering high-energy foods such as sunflower seeds or keeping a small part of your garden wild are all simple ways to provide support.
We’ve broken down some simple and easy ways to care for wildlife and are encouraging homeowners everywhere to give at least one of them a go.
How to help wildlife in the cold:
Leave a section of your garden untidy
In one small area of your garden, leave piles of logs, leaves, twigs and grass. This can create a warm shelter for wildlife on frosty nights and gives them a place where they can hide from predators.
Put out high-energy foods for birds
Birds need extra calories during the cold to help them retain body heat and low-energy diets can make them vulnerable. Leave out sunflower seeds or unsalted peanuts in feeders and place them in sheltered areas away from wind.
Provide fresh water
Ponds and other water sources will be frozen over during the cold which leaves wildlife without a reliable water source. Fill a shallow bowl with fresh water daily and leave it out for birds and small mammals. You can even put a cork or a ping pong ball in the dish to prevent the water from freezing over.
Other ideas to attract wildlife include:
Keep the pond ice free
Pond life needs access to oxygen when under ice, as the frozen surface can trap harmful gases. Place a floating pall on top of the pond to prevent the entire surface from being frozen. If the pond does freeze over, never break the ice. Instead get a pan of warm water or a pond heater to slowly open up one area.
Be mindful when tidying the garden
If you’re giving your garden a quick tidy, do so with caution. Check under leaf piles, compost heaps and tall grass in case any wildlife is resting there.
