Helping wildlife in your garden: water, shelter and what not to feed

TUREFF• •0

Even a small garden, yard or balcony can support wildlife. Birds, insects, frogs and small mammals all need the same basics: water, shelter, natural food and safe passage. The best help is often doing a little less tidying and a little more planting. The hedgehog and birdwatching rooms have detailed guides on those animals; this one covers the general picture.

Water

Water is often harder for wildlife to find than food, especially during hot or freezing weather.

A shallow dish of fresh water helps birds, mammals and insects. Change it often and clean it regularly to prevent disease.
Add stones or a stick so bees and insects can drink without drowning.
A pond, even a small one in a container, attracts insects and amphibians. Give it at least one gently sloping side or a ramp so animals that fall in can climb out.
Break ice gently in freezing weather, or float a ball to keep a hole open; do not pour boiling water on it or use chemicals.

Shelter

Leave some areas untidy. Log piles, leaf litter and long grass shelter insects, amphibians and small mammals.
Plant hedges and shrubs rather than relying only on fences. Native species usually support more wildlife.
Leave seed heads and hollow stems standing over winter for insects and birds.
Nest boxes for birds, bat boxes and insect shelters can help where natural sites are scarce. Put them in sheltered positions out of strong sun and away from feeders.
Make gaps in fences so animals can move between gardens.

Natural food

Planting is the most sustainable way to feed wildlife.

Choose flowers that support pollinators across as many months as possible.
Grow berry and fruit plants for birds.
Reduce or avoid pesticides and slug pellets, which also kill or poison the animals that feed on pests. Outdoor use of metaldehyde slug pellets is banned in Great Britain, and other countries have their own rules.
Leave a patch of lawn unmown to flower.

What not to feed

Feeding wildlife can help, but the wrong food does real harm.

No milk. Many mammals, including hedgehogs, cannot digest it properly and it causes diarrhoea.
No bread. It fills birds and animals up without the nutrients they need. This applies to ducks too.
No salty, spicy or processed leftovers, cooked fat from roasting tins, or mouldy food.
No loose whole peanuts. Birds can feed them to chicks, which can choke. If you offer peanuts, use unsalted ones in a mesh feeder that only lets birds take small pieces.
Do not feed wild animals by hand or encourage them to depend on you.

Keep feeding clean

Garden feeders can spread disease between birds. Wildlife charities advise cleaning feeders and water baths regularly, ideally outdoors with gloves and separate brushes, moving feeders occasionally, and removing old food. In the UK, the RSPB currently advises pausing seed and peanut feeding during the warmer months, when disease risk at feeders is highest. Check the latest advice from your national bird or wildlife organisation, because guidance changes. If you see sick birds, stop feeding for a while and clean everything.

Other hazards to check

Netting over fruit or sports goals can trap birds and mammals; lift it when not in use.
Check before strimming, mowing long grass or lighting bonfires, as animals shelter in them.
Cover drains and deep holes.
Keep cats indoors at dawn and dusk, or fit a collar with a bell, if you want to reduce their hunting.

If you find injured wildlife

Keep pets and children away, and observe from a distance before acting. Many young birds that look abandoned are being cared for by their parents nearby. If an animal is clearly injured, contact a local wildlife rescue, vet or animal welfare charity for advice before handling it, and do not try to feed it or give it water unless told to. What visits your garden? Share what you have done to help wildlife in the comments.