How to attract wildlife to your garden

Due to the decline of their natural habitats and a scarcity of food, some of Britain’s most well-known species are becoming more and more endangered. But we can all play a part, however small, in helping to boost their numbers.

Read on to find out how you can turn your garden into a thriving wildlife sanctuary.

Bats

These fascinating but often misunderstood creatures have a reputation for being scary ‘bloodsuckers’ or carriers of rabies. But they’re actually very clean, quiet, harmless creatures, and the chances of catching rabies from UK residing bats are miniscule. They’re also extremely useful to have around your garden, as they act as a natural form of pest control.

Although bats are protected by law, their numbers are declining due to loss of roosting areas and the increasing use of pesticides, which kill off their insect food. So it goes without saying that pesticides in your garden should be ruled out if you want to attract these docile creatures.

In fact the growth of wildflowers and herbs such as evening primrose, cowslip, basil and red clover should be encouraged, since these attract an abundance of insects for them to feast on.

Bat boxes are also an excellent way to tackle the problem of their diminishing habitats – although it may be a while before your bats decide to move in, so be very patient! You can buy bat boxes or have a go at building one yourself - either way, in order to attract bats it’s essential your box adheres to the following conditions:

• It should be close to water - within half a mile of a river, canal, pond or lake.
• It should be warm inside – bats like to maintain a temperature of at least 80F/27C during the day.
• The box should be placed about 15ft from the ground, facing in a southerly direction to get the most sun.
• The box should be close to trees or woodland, but avoid actually putting it in the tree or anywhere it will be at risk of attack from predators, such as owls and cats. A good place to put it is on the side of your house.

Find out how to make your own bat box

Newts

The newt is another animal that’s at risk in the UK, with one species; the great crested newt, being protected by law. Therefore it’s important to try to encourage these creatures to your garden, and not to disturb them if you already have them.

To attract newts to your garden or pond you will need to make sure there are lots of safe, secluded places for them to lay their eggs between April and June.

Ideal pond plants upon which they can lay include water-cress, water forget-me-nots and flote grass. However, if you want your newt community to thrive you should make sure the pond doesn’t have any fish in it, as they will eat baby newts.

As newts are amphibious you can still attract them to your garden even if you don’t have a pond. Just make sure you have plenty of damp nooks and crannies on land where newts can live, such as long vegetation, piles of rotting logs or a loose rockery.

Frogs

Another excellent bug exterminator, the frog will help stem the tide of plant-eating insects and slugs, as well as keep mosquitoes, cockroaches and flies at bay.

Like newts, frogs are amphibious so spend a lot of time on land - in fact they only really return to water to breed. Their ideal breeding ground is a relatively shaded pond or stagnant bog filled with vegetation.

There are not many things you need to do to make a pond ‘frog-proof’, although you will need to ensure they can get out of the pond easily. You can do this by making sure it’s surrounded by sloped sides or a rockery, or by introducing surface-floating plants such as lily pads, which they can grab on to.

Frogs like warm and moist habitats, so when they’re not laying eggs they’ll be happy to shelter in long plants and damp foliage, or even greenhouses.

Hedgehogs

To make your garden a haven for hedgehogs it’s important not to keep it too pruned. Long grass, piles of leaves, and wild shrubs all provide places for them to sleep during the day or hibernate over the winter. As well as this, overgrown and unkempt areas also harbour a wide variety of insects, which are an excellent food source for hedgehogs and many other animals.

They tend to feast on worms, slugs, snails, beetles and caterpillars, but you can help supplement their diet during the winter months with bread and cat or dog food. During hot summer months it’s helpful to leave out a shallow dish of water. Although make sure you never give hedgehogs fish or cow’s milk, as these things will cause an upset stomach and can even kill them.

Pesticides and slug pellets can also harm them – but if you’ve got ravenous hedgehogs in your garden you shouldn’t need these anyway! Ponds can be potential hazards for any inquisitive hedgehogs – ensure yours has shallow, sloping sides so that if they fall in they can easily climb out again.

Report your wildlife sightings

Last updated: 11/09/2009