Your monthly guide on how to encourage wildlife into your garden all year round.
WILD BIRDS & MAMMALS
It is the ideal time to clean and inspect nest boxes for birds – if a box hasn’t been used in that location for a few years, you could try and move the direction it faces or find another location. Site nest boxes for owls and reptors. During the winter be sure to clean out Barn Owl boxes in late december, consider installing wildlife cameras before the breeding season (now) so as to not disturb breeding birds.
During winter it is essential to help feel badgers and squirrels to help them through the fruitless winter months.
INSECTS
It’s a great time of the year to dig a wildlife pond, this will encourage lots of new wildlife into your garden. As well as making a great new addition to your garden.
BEES
Keep an eye out for late flying bumble bees on sunny days – they may not be able to find enough food to replenish their energy to fly home, so be ready with sugar food! Use winter time to build a bee bank – a mound of earth in a sunny part of the garden that solitary bees can nest in. Alternatively you can also drill holes into wood to provide a home for bees.
