For Gardeners Wanting An Alternative To Chemical Sprays, A Soil-applied Option Is Worth Considering As A First Step, And A Good Starting Point Is A Range Of slug Nematodes For Gardens Suited To The Pest In Question.
Whole peanuts should be avoided if fledglings are likely to be fed them directly, as they present a choking risk; a mesh feeder that breaks nuts into smaller pieces is the safer option. Hygiene is just as important as food choice: cleaning feeders regularly and moving their position from time to time helps reduce the build-up of bacteria that can spread between visiting birds.
For gardeners wanting an alternative to chemical sprays, a soil-applied option is worth considering as a first step, and a good starting point is a range of slug nematodes for gardens suited to the pest in question.
Fish are worth thinking through carefully. Ornamental fish will happily eat frogspawn and tadpoles, so a pond intended mainly for amphibians is usually better left fish-free. Leaving some leaf litter to settle at the bottom over autumn also gives amphibians a place to shelter through the colder months.
A pond set up with the right planting and shelter from the outset tends to attract amphibians naturally over time. Many gardeners begin with a considered selection of pond wildlife equipment chosen to suit the size of pond they are working with.
Feeding is straightforward but worth getting right. Meaty cat or dog food, or a specialist hedgehog food, is a better choice than bread and milk, which can cause digestive upset. A shallow dish of fresh water left out overnight is just as useful as food, particularly during dry spells in summer.
Hedgehogs are one of the most recognisable mammals to visit British gardens after dark, often covering a surprising distance, sometimes a mile or more, over a single night as they forage. A Garden Wildlife .com that offers a route in, something to eat and somewhere quiet to rest is far more likely to see repeat visits than one that is sealed off and tidied within an inch of its life.