How you can help wildlife in winter

Shorter daylight hours, colder temperatures, and fewer natural food sources are the main challenges faced by wildlife in winter.

Luckily, there are a few small things we can do that will make a big difference to their lives. Not only is this simply a nice thing to do, but helping your outdoor critters will also encourage them to stick around so you can reap the rewards! In return for a helping hand, the wildlife in your garden will repay the favour with natural pest control, higher biodiversity… and they’re all pretty cute, too.

Feeding local wildlife in winter

Birds

We love feeding the birds all year round. Birds keep the insect population in check (so fewer of them nibble your vegetables), and they all have lovely singing voices.

However, it’s extra important to keep those bird feeders topped up in winter. A lack of berries in the winter months leaves wild birds with less to eat, and frozen soil means that their favourite meal of worms and other ground-dwellers isn’t available.

Fill your feeder with a quality seed blend or peanuts, and they’ll keep coming back for more. The winter months can be pretty dreary at times, so having your local songbirds come to visit can really brighten up a cold morning.

We’d also recommend grabbing some suet cakes or fat balls. These tasty morsels are packed with energy and nutritious goodness to help keep them fighting fit and warm!

Mealworms are also a fantastic source of nutrients for birds, especially in winter – they may look a little morbid, but trust us – your local bird population will thank you.

Don’t forget:

You should check your bird bath daily in case it freezes over. Empty out the ice and refill with fresh water so that the birds can have a drink and keep their feathers looking spiffing.

Hedgehogs

Who doesn’t love a hedgehog? They’re adorable creatures, and they do wonders for the pest control in your garden by chowing down on slugs and snails.

If you’re lucky enough to be in an area with hedgehogs, it’s vital that you help them out. Leave some food out before you go to bed – they’ll pop by for a munch before they get to work on any pests in your garden. When the weather cools down, this will also help them build up fat reserves for when they eventually hibernate towards the end of the year.

Grab some tailor-made hedgehog food for a reliably tasty treat, and always put some fresh water out as well. Alternatively, hedgehogs are also known to love meat-based dog or cat food. Whatever you decide to go for, remove any food that isn’t eaten the next day to avoid any unwanted visitors. You can also try scattering the food around the undergrowth so the hedgehogs can forage naturally – they’re more likely to find slugs that way too!

As hedgehogs are nocturnal, and a bit shy, this is the perfect opportunity to set up a wildlife camera in your garden. Kids and adults alike will love watching the hedgehogs visit, as well as any other animals that love to stay up late like foxes, field mice, and bats!

How to provide shelter during cold weather

Birdhouses & nesting boxes

Just because wild animals have had more practice than we have at surviving outdoors, doesn’t mean they don’t feel the chill every now and again! Having a nesting box for your local bird and bat population is a great way of providing some shelter and warmth. Many nesting boxes now also come with cameras which you can link to your phone – another brilliant way of getting the kids interested in wildlife.

Hedgehog houses

Like many mammals in winter, hedgehogs tend to hibernate from early winter until spring. Having a hedgehog house is ideal for a hedgehog looking for somewhere warm and cosy to nap in!

They’re also known to kip in piles of dead leaves, foliage, or under sheds, so always be aware of this when the time comes to tidy your garden in winter. We’d recommend leaving some piles of leaves around for this very reason.

Be sure not to disturb anywhere that hedgehogs may be hibernating in – after all, how would you feel if you were woken up from a deep sleep by a hedgehog?

Insect hotels

Beneficial bugs such as bees, butterflies, ladybirds and lacewings absolutely love spring and summer, as there’s an abundance of flowers for them to pollinate, and plenty of food to eat. In winter, a lot of that disappears, so most insects tend to hunker down and hibernate instead.

Bumble bees dig themselves underground, but many other solitary bees and bugs will happily set up camp in a bug hotel! These purpose-built structures have plenty of little hidey-holes for bugs to set up in, so they can emerge next spring fighting fit and rearing to go.

You can also make your own bug hotel with an old bucket or box, some dead wood, and bamboo canes. Cut the bamboo canes so they fit into your box, and fill the rest of it with dead wood or any other foliage you have knocking around. Hey presto – a 5 star resort for the bugs in your garden!

Leave some chaos!

We know how satisfying it is to have a spotless garden, but you can help the wildlife this winter by actually doing less – sounds ideal, doesn’t it?

A lot of the things that could be seen as ‘messy’ in the garden are a haven for wildlife in winter. Piles of leaves and dead wood are great for hibernating hedgehogs and insects, and can also be a hunting ground for birds who are feeling peckish.

Having an area of your garden that you leave to go wild is beneficial all year round, but particularly in winter. An untidy area with overgrown shrubs, deadheads and leaves can provide essential shelter and food for the wildlife in cool weather – and can look beautiful in its own way too.

Aside from insects and hedgehogs, you may also find frogs and toads setting up camp in these sheltered areas – another brilliant animal to have around for pest control!

So, do yourself a favour and work a little less this winter – you’ll do more for the environment by popping your feet up and having a cuppa, instead of standing out in the cold and clearing the garden. Don’t need to tell us twice!