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Some creatures hibernate or hiking, but some (like us) stretch out the hard weather. Food is scarce and these animals are often difficult to make it to spring. But your garden can offer a sanctuary in these cold months.
Mollie Kerr, animal lawyer and founder of the social community, said: “Winter, mixed with blues in January or February, can be a depressing time. But it makes me smile when I see how birds flow back and forth with the food I published for them. ”
“That's why I wanted to create this guide because a few simple tricks can really make a difference in their life. I would like to encourage people to support the animal world as far as possible, and these next months are definitely the time to do this. I know that not everyone has to fill a large garden that fills up with winter nials, but with a feeder and a plant pot we can create a small oasis anywhere. “
1. Create a hedgehog -friendly garden room:
Hedgehogs cannot get hibernation in milder winters: they can be active in November or December if it is not too cold. Our prickly friends have a hard time finding food and adapting to their habitat. In October last year, the Western European hedgehog changed from “the least concerned to” almost threatened “.
Leave a corner of your garden undisturbed: create a small “wild area” with leaf stacks, tree trunks and other natural rubble. Hedgehogs conveys this because they often seek these places for hibernation. If it had been a cold winter, they would most likely have slept through and will need some food. This “wild area” will then offer a good supply of worms, beetles and caterpillars that you can on the snack snacks.
Build a hedgehog house: consider investing in a specially designed hedgehog house. Make sure you put it in a quiet, protected part of your garden, ideally with some dry leaves inside.
Leave out food: If you discover a hedgehog in winter, offer you special ergle food or wet cat food (not milk or bread, as it can be harmful). The British Hedgehog Preservation Society recommends eating protein -rich foods such as dog food on a meat -based meat food.
2. Make bird feed stations available:
Winter can be a difficult time for birds, since insects, berries and seeds are less abundant. Many species rely on bird feeders to maintain the additional energy they need to survive the colder months.
Set up a bird feed station: Although your swollen springs can catch air and make incredible insulation, you need high-fat, energy-rich seeds such as peanuts (not salted or smoked), nyjer seeds and sunflower seeds.
Keep feeder in stock: It is important to check and maintain feeders regularly, especially with strong snow or cold spells. If it is safe, you can set up some nesting boxes or dense hedges near the food, as this saves you some energy.
Offer fresh water: birds still have to drink in winter, but many natural water sources freeze. Put a flat water bowl outside and check it regularly to make sure it is not frozen.
3 .. Keep an eye on your local foxes
If you have local foxes, you would have seen them with their big fur coats and impressive fluffy cocks. You hibernate, so you need a lot of energy to keep yourself warm when the temperatures drop. Wildlife Aid wrote: “While the urban population has increased since the 1990s, 48% has decreased since 1995.”
Pay attention to the streets: Foxes may be more before traffic during the mating season until February of December.
Netting: Place the sports network away if you don't use it. The London Post reported in 2024, “in 2022 by the 1,798 calls of the RSPCA in relation to animals used at Netting 315, were wild mammals, 167 foxes and 62 hedgehogs”.
Disruptive density: they often make their caves or “earth” among dandruff. Be careful when blocking holes or interfere with piles in your garden. Come in spring, it could be filled with Cubs!
4. Help with the construction of a wildlife pond
A wildlife pond is a fantastic way to support biodiversity all year round. In winter it becomes a vital water source for animals that strive to find drinkable water in freezers. Many insects and amphibians such as frogs and toads also use ponds for hibernation.
Install a small pond: If you don't have one yet, the creation of a small pond in your garden offers essential water and refuge for the animal world. It doesn't have to be big, and even a simple flat container can work.
Leave the pond undisturbed: Avoid cleaning the pond too much in winter. Fallen leaves can provide protection for water life, and frogs and news often hibernate on the bottom of the muddy ponds.
5. Build a 'Wildlife Corridor'
Gardens are often fragmented by fences, walls and streets, whereby the wild animals cut off from other habitats. By creating small transitions for animals that range between gardens, you can maintain wildlife corridors that ensure that animals have access to food, protection and security.
Create small gaps in fences or walls: Make sure that in your garden fences there is a gap on the floor on the floor, at least 13 cm high, which is large enough to go through hedgehogs and other small mammals. Hedgehogs can drive 1-2 miles per night. Your territories are divided with a huge chain of home and you get lost, making you hike in streets. The trust of people for endangered species reported: “20% of the hedgehog mortalities came from Igel-Vehicle collisions”. By providing a “wildlife corridor” or a “hedgehog motorway”, wild animals can safely maneuver through their territory through their territory. Plantat Homer and Trees: Local plants not only support local insects and birds, but can also offer small mammals such as hedgehogs. Holly, Ivy and Hawthorn are great decisions.
Mollie added: “The aids of wild animals do not have to be a great effort, only small actions can make a big difference. You also have the pleasure of looking at these beautiful creatures … get this binoculars out. “
“By helping these animals, we will exceed things. When this first spring day finally comes, everyone is fit and ready to sunbathe in the warm sun, eat good food and enjoy the flowers.”