How can we look after our wildlife as the weather gets colder?

01/10/2017

As the weather gets colder us humans start to go into some form of hibernation. We will eat hearty meals, we will dig out the dressing gown and we will start to choose staying in and watching TV over going out and meeting people.

It isn’t only us that feel the cold. The animals that live in our gardens and around where we live also can feel the chill. The trouble is, they can’t just turn the heating up on make a hot chocolate. Here at Natural Friends we are a dating site with a difference. We like to bring together people who love nothing more than being outdoors and appreciate all the amazing things that nature can bring. Which  means that we want to make sure that the world around us is well looked after too!

So, what can we do to take care of the wildlife that live around us?

We have put together some of the top tips for making sure that our creatures great and small survive through the winter.

Feed the birds with fat blocks and fat balls
During the winter months the birds that live in your garden are much more likely to need to stock up on their fat reserves. A great way to give them a helping hand is to hang out fat blocks around your garden. These come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be the difference between a bird surviving or not during the winter months.

Keep your wire mesh feeders full
Not only can you feed the birds with fat balls and blocks but you can also top up your wire or mesh feeders as you would normally.

Plant some berry plants and trees
Birds will also turn to bushes, plants and trees for their food during the winter months. This means that it is a great idea to plant some berry producing plants and bushes which will grow a natural source of food.

Always check any bonfires and compost heaps
Hedgehogs, toads, frogs and mice are going to want to find warm and cosy place to hide away during the colder months. Your compost heap or bonfire pile is the ideal place to be. This means, if you are going to be turning over your compost or lighting your bonfire, then you need to check it over to make sure that there is no wildlife in there first.

Melt a hole in your pond
If you are lucky enough to have a pond in your garden, then you will know that this will attract a wide variety of animals. This is no different during the winter. The only trouble is that the pond will often be frozen. Not only does this mean that animals won’t be able to drink from it, but the animals that live in or on the water won’t be able to enter or exit it too. A simple solution to this is to melt a hole in the pond (never smash a hole in the ice) as this will give them an access point.

Local wildlife cannot look after themselves, which means that it is down to us as people to make sure that they are well looked after. It doesn’t take much effort, so when you are digging out your winter woollies make sure that you think of ways that could make it much more bearable for those creatures too!