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| White-tailed bumble bee
(Bombus lucorum)
© Roger Key |
Composting
Compost heaps will attract woodlice, millipedes, and slugs- essential for breaking down organic and garden refuse!
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| Compost heap |
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| Rose chafer (Cetonia aurata)
© Roger Key |
Go organic
Spraying prized blossoms with pesticides will result in fewer natural predators such as ladybirds colonising your garden. Using aromatic herbs amongst root crops could also reduce pest numbers.
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| 7-spot ladybird
(Coccinella 7-punctata)
© Roger Key |
Groundwater preservation
Summer sprinklers take a heavy toll. Tap water may come from groundwater causing wet habitats in the countryside to dry out, or taken from rivers, upsetting the natural ecology. Using less water in summer will help protect these habitats. Try harvesting roof rainwater and use kitchen waste water on plants during water shortages.
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| Musk beetle (Aromia moschata)
© Roger Key |
Hug a slug
Use of anti-slug pellets and nematode cultures is increasingly popular, however slugs and snails will act as a perfectly natural decomposer in a well-balanced garden.Removal of leaf litter will leave slugs with nothing to eat but your favourite plants!
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| Red slug (Arion ater/rufus)
© Roger Key |
No Peat is Neat
Support some of Britain’s finest natural habitats by buying peat free compost. Many of Britain’s rarest and spectacular insects depend on peat bogs for their survival.
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| Bog bush-cricket
(Metrioptera brachyptera)
© Roger key |
Ponds
Creating a pond will attract insects such as dragonflies (right) to breed. Shallow margins with lots of semi-aquatic plants will provide emergence areas.
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| Common darter (Sympetrum striolatum)
© Roger Key |
Stones for Homes
Laying a number of flat stones around the garden will provide shelter for predators such as centipedes and ground beetles which will help keep plant pests under control.
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| Stone centipede (Lithobius forficatus)
© Key Roger |
Walls for Bees
Bees often nest in old walls and ensure pollination of your garden plants. Re-pointing or repairs to walls should be done carefully and in moderation, leaving some bee nesting sites. If undertaken in spring adult bees may be able to start a new nest elsewhere. South facing sunny walls are favoured by many bees.
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| Bee wall |
Wood is Good
Dead wood is important for a number of invertebrates. Creation of log piles in a shaded spot in the garden may attract spectacular beetles.
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| Wasp beetle (Clytus arietis)
© Roger Key |
