Wildlife gardening FAQs

If your garden is large enough, clear a small area at the end and sow it with a wildflower/grass seed mix. This needs to be cut only once a year in late summer after the wildflowers have seeded. Also make a pond – it can be quite small but make sure that there is one point which is very gently sloping. This will not only allow creatures to drink from the pond but will also allow them to get out if they fall in. Any garden with water will attract wildlife. You could also create a small wood pile if you have enough space. 

In general, gardens which are not too tidy are better for wildlife and many species will benefit if you can leave a nettle or bramble patch, or simply allow rough grass to grow alongside a hedge. Native plants and flowers are good for invertebrates. Flowers which produce nectar will attract bees and butterflies, whereas many hybrid varieties are nectarless, whilst having showy flowers. Wildlife need breeding habitat, shelter, food, and water – so providing nest boxes, feeders and water for drinking and bathing will ensure your garden becomes a mini nature reserve for birds.  

You don't need a huge garden to attract wildlife, any open area can be managed for the benefit of wildlife. If you have a patio area, plant some low-growing plants in the cracks and gaps to provide a valuable habitat and food for a variety of small animals. Bellflower, cranesbill, herb Robert, and thrift are just a few plants that will happily grow in such an environment.

There are many garden flowers which provide nectar attractive to both butterflies and bees. If you want to attract butterflies, try to ensure that you have some nectar producing plants in flower from late winter and early spring, all the way through until late summer and autumn. There are a huge range of plants that butterflies will feed from but among the best are mint, catmint, marjoram, oregano, iceplant, honesty, sweet rocket, lavender, and wallflowers. 

The nectar from ivy flowers in autumn is very attractive to red admiral butterflies. Fallen fruit in autumn will be fed upon by red admirals, commas, and peacock butterflies. 

Wildlife gardens should also include the food plants for butterfly caterpillars. A small patch of nettles in a sunny location may attract red admirals, commas, peacocks, and small tortoiseshells to lay eggs. Holly blues lay their eggs on holly (first generation) and ivy (second generation), orange-tips on garlic mustard, and painted ladies on thistles. Try to ensure both nectar for the adult butterflies and food plants for their caterpillars are available. 

Yes, many of the cornfield wildflowers are now classed as ‘weeds’ but can easily be reintroduced by making a wildflower meadow, which will provide a nectar source for a wide variety of insects. Another wildlife-friendly option is to make an herbaceous border using many of the old-fashioned cottage garden plants and perennials. These will give a splendid array of colour all summer and attract a great number and variety of insects.

The main reason flowers such as corncockles and cornflowers are now rare is that they are essentially flowers of cultivated or disturbed land. The drive for higher yields and ever more sophisticated farming methods, especially more efficient herbicides, has virtually eliminated these flowers from the UK. In fact, the cornflower is now extinct in the wild in Norfolk. The seeds can be readily purchased from garden centres and wildflower seed stockists, and when sown in the garden provide a beautiful display, which is highly beneficial to insects.

Bee orchids can be unpredictable and may disappear from an area where they have been flowering successfully. They are usually found where there is drained, base-rich soil in areas such as scrubland, coastal sand dunes, and meadows. But bee orchids require some level of disturbance in order to germinate, meaning they are often unexpectedly found by roadsides, embankments, and pesticide-free lawns! It is best to leave an area of bare ground for the seeds to settle on as this is a colonising plant. However, only those seeds which gain nutrients from fungal hyphae will begin to develop. Cutting during the main flowering period between March and August should be avoided.

Ivy is a native, evergreen climber with glossy leaves and clusters of bountiful berries, which has enormous benefits for wildlife throughout the year. Ivy provides a natural shelter for a wide array of mammals, birds, and invertebrates in winter, including bats, as well as nesting sites for birds in spring, like wrens. Their nectar-rich flowers are a lifeline for autumn-flying insects, such as red admiral butterflies, hoverflies, bees, and moths – and the benefits of ivy extend far beyond. The holly blue butterfly, which lays two clutches of eggs a year, will lay their summer clutch on the leaves of ivy, and once fueled up, many insects will find refuge in an ivy hedge or bush to hibernate in over the winter. Ivy berries provide a rich food source for birds at a time of year when other natural food supplies are often depleted, and thrushes, woodpigeons, blackbirds and blackcaps have all been seen enjoying ivy berries. Why not leave a patch of ivy in your garden and see what comes to visit?

To be wildlife-friendly, a hedge needs to provide a combination of shelter from the elements and predators, a supply of food, and good breeding sites. A good hedge will be composed of a mixture of native species to encourage a variety of wildlife. Consider using 50% hawthorn, along with a selection of three or four other species to add diversity. We recommend blackthorn, field maple, dog wood, common alder, hazel, crab apple, and holly. Once the hedge is established you can introduce climbers such as dog rose, honeysuckle, and ivy – all of which will increase the value of your hedge to wildlife. 

Plant your hedge by creating two staggered lines with plants spaced 30-45 centimetres (12-18 inches) apart with the second row about 45 centimetres (18 inches) from the first. 

New hedges are best planted during autumn and winter (October-February). Avoid periods when the ground is frozen or waterlogged. Dig over the area for planting, one spade blade deep and remove any grass or weeds. Bare rooted trees and shrubs (also known as ‘whips’) will be cheaper than pot-grown and are better for establishing a hedge. Most hedgerow trees or shrubs do not require any compost unless your soil is sandy or heavy clay. 

You will need to weed around the base of your new plants for the first couple of years and water in dry periods during the growing season. The hedge can be lightly trimmed in the autumn every other year but remember to leave some of the hedge uncut to provide plenty of berries for winter and avoid cutting your hedge during the nesting season of birds (March to late July). 

To provide more homes for wildlife; leave the grass long leading up to the hedge and leave leaf piles and log piles at its base to provide a variety of habitats for invertebrates and small mammals. Flowers such as snowdrops, primroses, red campions, dog roses, honeysuckles, foxgloves, and violets can be planted at the base of your hedge – these will encourage insects to visit. Foxgloves are especially attractive to bees and honeysuckle will attract moths at night. 

Any hedge is beneficial to wildlife, but a mix of evergreen and deciduous planting is good, along with plants that have autumn berries. We suggest holly, hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, field maple, and beech. Thick hedges and thorny hedges provide the best protection for nesting birds. Cover at the base of the hedge, such as long grass, may encourage hedgehogs and small mammals.

If your hedge comprises of plants with berries, it is better to leave trimming it until late winter so that the birds have the benefit of the berries during the winter. 

When undertaking work on any hedge, check that there are no birds nesting as it is an offence under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 to damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while the nest is in use or being built. The breeding bird season is seen to be from 1 March to 31 August inclusive. Any work on hedges is best carried out after the end of August and before March, but don't forget to consider the presence of berries, as these are an important source of food for many different animals. 

Cut your hedges every two, or even three, years. This allows the hedge to provide food for wildlife. 

Cutting hedges every year massively reduces the amount of food a hedge can provide for wildlife. It hastens the structural decline of your hedge, which can be expensive to repair. You may have to structurally rejuvenate (lay or coppice) the hedge or plant up gaps more frequently. 

Ensure that the pond has gently sloping sides so that creatures can easily crawl in and out. This also enables birds and other animals to use the pond for drinking. Plant the sides with native marginal plants that provide cover for frogs and other creatures and put oxygenating plants in deeper water to improve the water quality. Don’t be tempted to put fish in the pond as they will not only eat any tadpoles or young newts but also the invertebrate larvae. 

Small ponds do need frequent clearing out as they tend to get overgrown with plants but try to do this in autumn or winter rather than the spring or summer, and only do half the pond in any one year. Leaving the raked-out material on the edge of the pond for a while will allow any larger pond creatures to move back to the pond before the material is taken away. 

A truly amphibian-friendly pond would ideally not contain any fish. Fish like to eat amphibian larvae. However, fish won’t eat toadlets as they contain a poison in their warty skin, so fish and toads can live together.

In spring and early summer, it is normal to see more male ducks than female ducks. The females do all the incubation of the eggs and are well hidden on their nests. In contrast, the brightly coloured males are easy to spot and spend time in the open where they are visible. With mallards, it is common behaviour in spring for several males to chase and attempt to mate with any duck that shows itself. The fact that mallard are common birds shows that, whilst we may not like watching this apparently destructive and aggressive behaviour, it does not affect the mallard’s overall breeding success and we should not try and intervene.

If your pond is of a reasonable size and depth, a covering of ice is unlikely to do any harm and is a natural occurrence that native wildlife is conditioned to cope with. Ice forming over shallow water may have an adverse effect on any frogs that are hibernating in the mud, and in this circumstance, it may be best to gently melt the ice. To do this, place a saucepan of hot water on top. Smashing the ice is not recommended as the shock waves could harm wildlife and any fish. 

If the ice looks like it’s staying for a while, it's a good idea to melt an area over any shallow water so that birds can bathe and drink. 

Expanding ice can damage a garden pond by putting excessive pressure on the pond walls. To prevent this, float a plastic ball on the surface of the pond during cold weather, if the pond then freezes the ball will absorb some of this pressure helping to protect your expensive liner. 

Murkiness or algal blooms in ponds are usually caused by single cell plants (phytoplankton) which live on any free nutrients in the water. Introducing zooplankton, such as daphnia or water fleas, can clear a cloudy pond. To keep the pond clear, there needs to be a good community of larger aquatic plants including deeper water species.

Fish are part of the natural diet of herons and once a heron has found an easily available supply of food it is likely to continue to visit. Ensuring there are refuge areas in a pond where fish can hide will help – floating leaves such as waterlilies provide hiding places for fish. An overhanging bush that makes an area of the pond less accessible may also help. Herons generally dislike confined areas and usually avoid areas frequently disturbed by people, so putting a new pond close to a house rather than in at the bottom of a garden will reduce the likelihood of herons becoming a problem. 

For small ponds, adding netting or placing strings across the surface can make an effective deterrent. Herons usually land on grassy edges of ponds and then walk to the water’s edge, so planting shrubs and bushes around the pond will make the area less attractive to herons. 

There is little evidence that placing a plastic heron by your pond will deter the real thing – it might even do the opposite and attract one! 

Bird feeding tips:

If you have sufficient storage space, it is far more cost-effective to buy bird food in bulk. Birds need high-fat foods such as peanuts, seeds, fat balls, and meal worms, which you can get from garden centres and pet shops. Niger seeds and sunflower hearts may seem expensive but can be more economical because there is no waste. Store your bird food in a cool, dry, secure place. 

Kitchen scraps such as bacon fat, bruised apples and pears, cooked potato, grated cheese, cake crumbs (including left over Christmas cake), raisins, cooked rice and pastry are also welcome – a variety of foods will attract different species of birds. Please ensure that you continue putting out food once you have started as the birds will come to rely on it. 

Feeders:

It is important to keep feeders topped up, especially first thing in the morning, when birds are active and replacing energy lost overnight. Fill feeders with peanuts, seed mixes, sunflower hearts, and fat balls (don’t use fat balls in nets; birds can get their feet caught in them). Additionally, goldfinches – if you have any nearby – can be attracted with Niger seeds. 

Put bird feeders in a sheltered spot in the garden, away from the cold wind and well out of the reach of cats. Also use squirrel-proof feeders if squirrels are regular visitors to your garden. Larger feeders are easier to maintain because they don’t need filling up so often; however, if the food is not eaten quickly or adequately sheltered, it may grow mouldy. If any seeds at the bottom of the feeder become soggy, throw them out and let the feeder dry out before you refill it. Rather than rushing to refill feeders during the day, keep a tray underneath them; many seeds will spill throughout the course of the day, and ground-feeding birds can be encouraged to pick these up. Avoid the spread of disease by cleaning feeders and bird tables regularly. 

Ground food:

Not all birds use feeders, so a sprinkling of food on the ground or on a bird table will be beneficial, providing that there are no cats around. Do not put too much food out on the ground as any left over at the end of the day may attract rats. 

Garden:

Don’t keep your garden too tidy! Leave seed heads and berries on plants and leave nest boxes up as roosting sites. 

Water:

Birds need a supply of clean water every day; not just to drink, but also to wash in. Use bowls if you do not a have a bird bath. Try adding small twigs or ping pong balls to the water – the movement of this makeshift flotsam will prevent the surface of the water from freezing over. Do not use any salt or antifreeze products, as antifreeze is a poison that is lethal to both wildlife and pets. 

If rats become a problem at bird feeding sites, it may be necessary to cease feeding for a period to discourage them. Rats are most active at night, so removing feeders overnight and ensuring no uneaten food remains on the ground will also reduce the likelihood of this problem. The careful location of hanging feeders away from walls covered with ivy or climbing plants will make it harder for rats to access them and pole-mounted feeders can be made inaccessible to rats if a slippery metal or plastic pole is used, or a collar is mounted below the feeder. 

If you wish to deter squirrels from hanging bird feeders, then use squirrel-proof metal feeders which allow access to small birds but have a metal mesh preventing access to squirrels. Alternatively, use pole-mounted feeders sited away from overhanging trees.

Good hygiene at bird feeding stations is important, especially during periods of warm weather. Birds are subject to a range of diseases, many of which are transmitted by droppings. If food is contaminated with droppings, this can spread avian diseases. Bird tables and feeders should be kept clean and free from droppings. Feeders and tables can be cleaned using a 10% disinfectant solution or boiling water.  

Moving feeders around your garden will help prevent a build-up of droppings on the ground below. Food should not be allowed to go mouldy. When cleaning feeders, it is advisable to wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards. On bird tables, or if feeding birds on the ground, do not provide more food than is eaten in a single day, and put out new food each morning. 

Fat balls are a nutritious treat for birds and are very easy to make. All you need is some fat that is solid at room temperature. Good fats to use are suet, lard, peanut butter, or the fat from your Sunday roast. You will also need some extras to mix in with the fat, such as sunflower seeds, finely chopped peanuts, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, oatmeal, bacon rind (as long as it’s not salty), cornmeal, and molasses. Some fats, such as suet, will need warming first until they are soft or melted. Once the fat is soft enough to work with, add the extras and mix well (you may find it easier to use your hands). Add some flour if necessary to give a firm consistency. Form into balls and, if you like, roll in some millet seeds or breadcrumbs before placing outside. You can buy specially designed feeders to put the balls in or you can use a peanut feeder. Avoid the type of nylon mesh around the fat balls that you see in shops, as birds can get their feet and legs (and even their tongues) caught in them. The same mixture can also be placed into empty yoghurt pots. Poke a hole in the bottom of the pot first and thread a piece of string through to make a hanger. Then fill the pot with the fat mixture and hang outside. 

There are several reasons why birds have left your garden. Their absence is particularly noticeable in August and September because during this time there is an abundance of natural food available, so birds are not so dependent on feeders in gardens. They will also be moulting their old feathers and growing new ones to protect them during the winter. During this vulnerable time, they need the protection of the cover of trees and hedges. 

As winter approaches and natural food becomes scarce, birds will return to bird tables and the essential food they provide. 

In addition, a national decline of some species, including sparrows and starling, has been recorded. Although the reasons for this are not clear, it is believed that changes in farming techniques have meant that less food is readily available for these species. 

Solitary bees need pollen, nectar, and warm, bare areas of earth or sandy substrate to burrow into. Some solitary bees will use artificial homes, such as bee hotels, however any tubes that remain empty and not sealed up by the bees inside, will need to be cleaned out or replaced at the end of each year, as parasites can quickly build up and harm the bees using them. Ensure you have a range of plants in flower from early spring to autumn and some sunny, bare areas of ground in your garden to best support your solitary bees.

Pollen and nectar are needed to feed adult bumblebees and their larvae. It is important to ensure that there are flowers in your garden from early spring through to late summer, covering the whole of the bumblebee season. 

Bumblebees like to build nests in redundant mice and shrew holes. These may be found at the base of a hedge or in an area of rough grass, so leaving an area uncut in your garden can help bumblebees. To make an artificial underground nest site, dig a hole, place a ball of moss or dry grass in the bottom, and then cover it with a slab, leaving a small entrance hole. 

For more information on supporting bumblebees in your local area, head to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, or the BugLife website, who run B-Lines – a nationwide project working to increase bee and other invertebrate populations through wildflower highways and habitat networks running through towns and countryside.

The main reason for the decline of the hedgehog in rural areas is ‘fragmentation of habitat’. Their natural habitat is the edge of woodland and hedges are a perfect substitute. However, larger fields with fewer hedges and increased road building fragments the hedgehog’s habitat. Fragmentation means hedgehogs may find it difficult to cross boundaries between these isolated ‘islands’, and small populations can become lost. Decreased food due to pesticides may also be affecting hedgehog numbers. 

In urban areas hedgehogs are also declining because of habitat loss. Property development and increased numbers of paved gardens means there are less fields and gardens suitable for hedgehogs. Joining up gardens by making holes under fences can help hedgehogs in urban areas to move from one place to another to find food.  

The best way to help hedgehogs is to provide them with a suitable habitat. Hedgehogs will travel up to 2 kilometres per night to feed and leaving gaps in fences will help them to move about and find food. If your neighbours will join in, then the hedgehogs’ habitat will immediately improve. 

Leaving areas of your garden undisturbed allows hedgehogs to find shelter amongst leaves and long grass. If you can, avoid cutting the grass and using a strimmer in these areas. If you are going to be using a strimmer, check the area carefully before you start as hedgehogs can be badly injured by the cord of a strimmer. 

Extra shelter can be provided by creating hibernation spots. This can be a box or an undisturbed log pile. Hedgehogs also love the warmth of compost heaps, which are also a source of food. You can also supplement hedgehogs’ food with insects, or cat and dog food, but don’t give hedgehogs milk or fish-flavoured cat meat. 

Many hedgehogs are killed on roads, so slow down when driving at night and take care to avoid crossing wildlife.