Help wildlife in hot weather

Help wildlife in hot weather

Teal (Anas crecca) in the early morning sun, Dorset, UK - Luke Massey/2020VISION

As the temperature rises, so does the pressure on our garden wildlife. Here's 3 easy things you can do to give wildlife a life line this summer

Make a bird bath

Making a bird bath for our feathered friends is always great way to help birds  in the hotter months. Turn your garden into a space for nature by placing a container filled with cool water outside and let birds cool off in the height of summer. 

You may also notice other species stopping by for a quick dip.. Pollinators like to stop off at shallow water to take a drink, a good tip is to place pebbles into a container so smaller birds and pollinators can have a perch to drink from!

Keep your garden healthy, clean and GREEN!

Essential, native plants that are watered regularly and gardens with large habitat areas are vital for butterflies, birds and bees in the hot weather.  

However in extreme weather and droughts we need to be mindful of our water consumption (Get some tips on how to use water efficiently). Try being eco efficient and reserve tubs of rain or waste water to feed your garden. 

We also urge you to stop using pesticides or switch to natural deterrents, our insect populations are rapidly declining and we have harmful pesticides to partly blame. 

*Ditch artificial lawns and stay green! Unfortunately, lots of households are now replacing their luscious green gardens with plastic artificial astroturf. This is becoming detrimental to wildlife as UK gardens are a vital habitat for lots of species. 

 

Plant trees to shade your garden

There is nothing better than relaxing under a cool tree on a summer day.. for us and wildlife. 

Many animals will seek out shade during the hot periods of the summer and a good way to help them is by creating a shaded area in your garden so they can cool off. There are lots of ways to do this; you could create a log pile to keep smaller mammals cool, you could leave an overgrown wildlife patch for insects and birds and of course you could plant tree's!  

If we all did a little something in our gardens, it could have a big impact on our local wildlife this time of year.