Your monthly guide on how to encourage wildlife into your garden all year round.
WILD BIRDS & MAMMALS
Keeping a bird bath out in the open and raised up will give courage to more birds like the Dunnock who may need an early morning drink and wash. Allow seed heads to develop on some plants and vegetables as a source of food. Say goodbye to Swifts as they leave for their huge journey to Africa. Place hedgehog and badger food out (you can also feed these animals cat and dog food) during this time as the young hedgehogs may begin appearing in your garden.
Hares commonly have the last of their leverets in August, they can be seen coming for feeding with their mother at sunset each day. Head off on an evening wildlife walk, look for bats, moles, fox and badger cubs, and make use of a wildlife camera to observe wildlife during the evenings and nights.
BEES
Leaf Cutter Bees are still actively using nest boxes so keep plenty of tubes available for them. Allow your lawns and meadows to grow long enough to tolerate hot weather. You may find bees and insects sheltering from the sun in the long grass on hot days.
INSECTS
Lacewing Chambers and Ladybird homes placed around the vegetable patch can help control aphid breakouts. Harvest seeds from the uncut meadow to increase pollinator food for next year’s meadow. Buddleia, also known as Butterfly Bush can keep flowering late if you keep de-heading it. It is an important food source and great to observe butterflies from.
