Welcoming wildlife in to your garden is easy, and by creating homes for visitors like hedgehogs and bees, you can soon transform your garden into a haven for unusual residents and budding naturalists.
Here are five easy projects to get started on:
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Bee board Not all bees live in a hive and produce honey. Most live alone. Sadly, there’s a bee housing shortage. But you can help by building them a home! |
- Find a piece of untreated wood. This should be about 30cm long and 3cm deep.
- Drill holes into the wood. The holes need to be about 1cm wide and 2cm deep. Make sure you leave gaps of about 6cm between holes.
- Attach the board to somewhere sheltered, e.g. under a roof edge – a shed is a good idea.
- Wait! In about 6 weeks, you will probably notice bees moving in.
Bee fact:
Did you know there are between 20,000 and 30,000 different species of solitary bees in the world and about 300 in Britain?
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Toad abode Toads help to keep your garden healthy. They eat lots of cutworms and slugs and can eat about 100 insects a day! |
- Find a small clay flower pot.
- Lay the pot on its side and bury the pot half way into the ground. Put some dead leaves inside.
- Wait! In a few days check to see if anyone has moved in. It may take some time.
Toad fact:
Did you know toads drink by sitting in water and soaking it through their skin?
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Slowworm den Slowworms can often be found in gardens. They eat pest insects. They are active in the day and like to sunbathe. |
- Find a piece of tin, black plastic or a plank of wood.
- Lay your den out in a sunny spot in the garden. Make sure it will not be disturbed.
- Wait and see! Within a few weeks peek into the den and you should find a whole collection of creatures and hopefully some Slowworms.
Slowworm fact:
Did you know that Slowworms aren’t worms at all? They are lizards (with no arms or legs).
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Ladybird tube Ladybirds are also good for your garden and they’re pretty too! They eat aphids, a type of bug which destroys young plants. |
- Find a piece of bamboo and cut it into lengths of 15cm. The bamboo can be green or dry. Make sure your tubes of bamboo are not blocked.
- Using rubber bands, bundle your bamboo together and attach a piece of string for hanging.
- Hang in a sheltered place in your garden and wait and see who moves in!
Ladybird fact
Did you know that not all ladybirds are brightly coloured? Some are actually quite dull.
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Hedgehog house There is also a housing shortage for hedgehogs. You can help by making a safe place for them to live. |
- Get a big, thick cardboard box and cut two side air vents about 15cm by 5cm and an entrance about 15cm in diameter.
- Put some shredded newspapers inside with clean, dry grass or straw on top and tuck the box near a hedge, if possible with the entrance facing South.
- Cover the top of the box with a small piece of plastic sheeting, for example, an 'opened up' old carrier bag. Place twigs all round to make a dome and then cover with dry grass and leaves.
Hedgehog fact:
Did you know hedgehogs can walk up to 2 miles a night looking for food?
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