29 Jun 2021 | Apex Environmental Services (UK) Ltd
Attracting a vast array of wildlife into your garden can bring a tremendous amount of joy.
Many will be delighted to learn that creating an outside space that appeals to a range of animals is not as difficult as it might first seem. A few clever tricks can leave you with a colourful and bustling garden to enjoy all year round.
Climbing Plants
Climbing plants look beautiful and provide shelter for insects and birds. They also offer nectar for pollinators and generally encourage a healthy environment.
They are extremely easy to grow, so great for those with little to no gardening experience. Climbing plants are also great for masking any unattractive walls or fences that you would rather hide.
Build A Butterfly Home
Changing weather conditions and increased pollution have had a disastrous impact on the butterfly population in the UK.
Butterfly houses can be purchased relatively inexpensively to create a healthy and safe space for the insects to nest in your garden.
These should be placed close to nectar-rich flowers, attached to a wall or fence in the sunshine, and sheltered from any harsh winds. If you choose to decorate your butterfly house, be sure to use non-toxic paint.
Encouraging Hedgehogs
Firstly, hedgehogs love to hide. So, ensuring you have a thick, dense undergrowth will make the animals feel the most secure. Plants and grass of different heights will create the optimum environment.
Hedgehogs love to move around and can travel substantial distances every night. Therefore, ensuring they can access and leave your garden easily is imperative. This can be as simple as teaming up with your neighbour to cut a small hole in your fence, allowing for safe passage.
Perhaps the best way in which you can help these animals is to build a hedgehog house. Hedgehogs require a safe place to seek shelter and a reliable food source to enable them to hibernate throughout the winter months.
There are many hedgehog houses on the market, ranging dramatically in both size and cost. Ensure that a smaller tube leads into the home to prevent larger predators such as foxes from entering. Opting for a house with a removable lid will make cleaning much more straightforward.
Bowls of milk should never be left within reach of hedgehogs, as they are allergic to cow’s milk. Consumption would cause the creatures to be very sick and attract other animals, including pests, to your garden.
Bird Feeders
Bird feeders are a simple way to attract wildlife into your garden.
However, their placement is crucial. You should ensure they are high enough to prevent opportunistic cats from stealing the food. Additionally, placing a metal cage around the feeder will stop squirrels, and larger birds such as pigeons, from accessing the food source.
Using a bird box or bird dome is another excellent way to encourage the local birds and prevent larger pests from getting inside.
Additionally, using high-quality ingredients such as sunflower seeds and suet balls will make pigeons less attracted.
Build A Bee Hotel
It has never been more critical to create a safe and welcoming environment for bees. 35 species of bee are currently at risk of extinction in the UK, and without them, our ecosystem will struggle to survive.
Bees are responsible for the pollination of many of the plants, trees and food we all enjoy. Amazingly, it is estimated that farmers would have to spend a whopping £1.8 billion annually to pollenate their crops without bees.
A bee hotel is a purpose-built home in your garden for bees to nest. Building a bee hotel will help to restore lost habitats and bring back the benefits of a flourishing bee population in your local area.
Bee hotels can be purchased online relatively inexpensively. Alternatively, you can build a simple version yourself using bamboo canes and a plastic bottle, to quickly encourage bees into your outside space.
Remember to place your bee hotel in direct sunlight and at least one meter above the ground to entice the highest number of bees to your garden.
Grow Wildflowers
Wildflowers are great for attracting a range of insects to your garden, including beautiful butterflies. They provide these pollinating insects with a vital food source, which in turn helps the whole ecosystem.
Additionally, these insects do a fantastic job of keeping pests away from your garden, great if you are also growing vegetables and other crops.
Wildflowers are extremely easy to grow. Prepare the area by first clearing any grass or plants. Turn over the soil and rake well before generously spreading your wildflower seeds. Water regularly, and expect to wait around six weeks to begin to see germination.
Wildflowers work especially well as border plants, adding a splash of colour to your garden.
Preventing Pests
There is a delicate balance involved with creating a garden loved by wildlife, yet one that does not encourage vast numbers of pests into the space.
Many small steps can be taken to help keep the pests at bay.
- Carefully consider your food sources. Choose dome bird feeders to attract the smaller birds and keep pigeons away.
- Introduce plants, such as wildflowers, to entice ‘good’ insects, and encourage healthy habitats.
- Promote healthy soil in your garden. Nutritious soil will aid the growth of strong plants with robust immune systems. This will help them fight off pests and diseases.
- Consider purpose-built animal homes, such as bee hotels or hedgehog houses.
- Prevention is always better than the cure. Bird Spikes or bird meshing can be used to prevent pest birds from making your property their home.
How Apex Can Help
Encouraging wildlife into your garden can unfortunately also often entice pests.
Therefore, you may need to invest in some preventative measures such as bird spikes or even scaring tactics where pest birds have become an issue for your family.
To find out more, contact Apex Bird Control now on 01256 578025 or email us at info@apexbirdcontrol.uk.
