Top tips for wildlife gardening

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!

Compost heap

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 (below left) and ground beetles (below right) which will help keep plant pests under control.

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.

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.

Wasp beetle (Clytus arietis) © Roger Key