Our gardens can play host to a wide range of little creatures, including hedgehogs, foxes, bees and butterflies, to name a few.
Us bird enthusiasts sometimes find it difficult to embrace the variety of wildlife into our gardens, especially when spending so much time tending to and attracting wild birds.
To help, the generous people over at Kennedy Wild Bird Food have put together this handy guide to help you make your other garden visitors feel more welcome!
Food, glorious food
Food is the best way to any animal’s heart. Leaving out a little bit of food for other wildlife besides your birds, is a great way to make them feel at home and ensure they don’t wander into unwanted areas.
If you often find foxes rummaging through your garden, leaving a bit of food out for them can keep them away from your prized garden possessions. You can do this by placing a little bit of fruit or tinned pet food in a small container away from bins and garden plants.
Make the most of your green thumb
If you’re a keen gardener, there are a wide range of plants that can attract an array of beautiful butterflies and insects to your garden.
Butterflies tend to like bright colours. So why not try planting a few exotic flowers like the gloriosa lily or marigolds in your garden to attract the butterflies and also add a burst of colour to your garden.
English lavender on the other hand, is a favourite amongst bumblebees, so introduce a few lavender plants into your garden for a sweet smelling welcoming party for the bees, as well as the wild birds!
Avoid heavy use of pesticides
Like many harsh chemicals, pesticides can be harmful to the wildlife that enters your garden.
If bird baths or food become contaminated with the harmful chemicals in pesticides, this could lead to fatal consequences for your birds. So it’s important to reduce the amount of pesticides you use, or stop using them altogether to ensure your garden birds are safe.
The same goes for butterflies and bees. Certain pesticides such as sevin or diazinon will kill butterflies, so do some research into which pest-killers are safe to use and won’t harm your garden visitors!
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