As Autumn approaches, there are still plenty of things you can do in your garden to help wildlife. Even the smallest things can make a big difference to the wildlife in your garden.
Ponds
Male frogs often spend winter in the muddy depths of ponds, breathing through their skin. But if the pond freezes over, gases caused by decaying plant material can get trapped and poison them. Remove debris from ponds now, and float a tennis ball on the surface to prevent ice from sealing it.
Plant trees
Add colour and life to your outdoor space with native trees and shrubs. Autumn is the perfect time to plant as trees are dormant and less likely to suffer damage. Native species like holly, hawthorn and rowan are all suited to small spaces and provide vital food and shelter for birds, insects and small mammals through the colder months. Choose carefully and you can enjoy other benefits too - admire fantastic displays of spring blossom or fiery autumn leaves, capture carbon, create a shady spot and much more.
Put your Halloween pumpkin to good use
Feeding woodland wildlife with leftover Halloween pumpkins might seem helpful and eco-friendly, but it does more harm than good. Pumpkins take a long time to break down and as they rot, they damage delicate woodland ecosystems, attract rats and can be fatal to animals like hedgehogs. Please don't leave pumpkins in our woods. Search online for other great ways to use them instead, from creative recipes to autumnal bird feeders and planters. Or just pop it on your compost heap.
Make a pumpkin bird feeder
• Take the lid off your jack-o'-lantern, or if you have a fresh pumpkin, cut the top off and scoop out the insides.
• Push strong sticks through so that they jut out to create perches for the birds.
• Fill with bird seed and place on a bird table, or tie strings to the sticks and hang from a sturdy branch.
• Keep it clean and add it to the compost heap when it starts to rot to avoid harming the birds.
Build a bug hotel
As the weather turns cooler, give minibeasts like bees, ladybirds and spiders a safe and cosy space to shelter with a bug hotel. Autumn is a great time to find lots of natural materials for your construction too, including pine cones, dried twigs and fallen leaves. They don’t have to take up much room - try your hand at one of our ideas, from a log pile lodge to a pinecone palace.
Continue feeding and providing water for birds
The RSPB recommend feeding birds all year round. Ideally pick bird food for all ages and you might be lucky enough to have lots of baby birds tucking into the food you put out.
As temperatures plummet, birds use a lot of energy to keep warm and food becomes difficult to find. Putting out nuts, seeds and other energy-rich food can be a welcome extra meal in leaner times.
Water is valuable for bathing and drinking so if it does eventually stop raining - keep it topped up! Bird baths can be a lifeline too when other water sources may have frozen over - help keep yours ice-free by floating a small ball on the surface to disturb the formation of ice sheets.
Install a bat box
Did you know you can put bat boxes up wherever you live? They’re great for any garden, balcony or roof. While most British bats roost in trees, a box could be a welcome hibernation spot - and autumn is when they’re scoping out a place to spend the winter. You can buy a box or build your own. Make sure it's dampproof, draughtproof and at least 4m off the ground in a sheltered spot that receives sun during the day. You could use several boxes facing different directions to provide a range of roosting options.
Resist deadheading roses and plants with seedheads
Roses often have hips which provide much needed food for birds as the months get colder. Rosa canina (dog rose), Rosa filipes ‘Kiftsgate’ and Rosa moyesii are just some of the roses that produce hips which not only feed the birds but look amazing too!
Seedheads on plants such as Verbena bonariensis, lavender and teasels are also a valuable food source for birds and small animals.
Mud!
If you’ve lucky enough to have swifts, swallows or house martins in your eaves, leave a dish of mud out and they can use it to repair their nests.
They are migratory birds and should be on their way to Africa by now. These birds are sadly on the decline so it’s worth doing everything we can to help them.
Avoid Trimming Hedges
Blackbirds and thrushes often nest well into August so check your hedges before trimming in case there are still baby birds around.
Caring for Your Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs and particularly hoglets need building up before they hibernate. Leave shallow water bowls out for them and cat food, ideally chicken flavour to help them put on weight for the winter.
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