Your monthly guide on how to encourage wildlife into your garden all year round.
WILD BIRDS & MAMMALS
July is an important month for wild birds as some are still nesting, so it is still a good idea to keep plenty of birdfeed out as competition at this time is high. If possible, avoid trimming hedges as birds may well still be nesting. Make sure to keep your bird baths clean and refreshed for those hot summer days as it allows wild birds to replace their lost water.
The summer months are when old and juvenile hedgehogs appear, so it is useful to keep feeding them throughout with cat or dog food (wet or crushed). July is the perfect time to start bat watching on late summer evenings. You can use a bat detector to be able to identify and guide you to local bats.
BEES
Solitary Leafcutter Bee’s and Bumble Bee colonies begin to start nesting and building in boxes and the Honey Bee swarms begin to become less strong so it is important to try and provide them an area or space to nest safely while their strength is weak. Especially during the hot months it is important to plant the necessary flowers for their survival and also provide small amounts of sugar water near nests. Look for this logo for products that support pollinators.
INSECTS
July is the peak flying month for butterflies – making it an ideal time to take out an ID guide and see how many different species you can see on a sunny still day. Setting up moth traps at night at this time is popular as you can survey and view which flying moths have been attracted. It is a peak month for the beautiful Humming Bird Hawkmoth.
