October is nearly at an end, but before we put on our Halloween costumes and hand out treats, gardeners are being urged to complete a few tasks before the month comes to a close. Calling this time of year a “significant month for wildlife”, experts have said that some animals are starting to “spend more energy looking for food” as they prepare to bunker down for winter.
According to BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, hedgehogs are one of them, with the cute creatures “fattening up ahead of going into hibernation.” With this in mind, people have been urged to leave out “meat-based cat or dog food” as this can “make all the difference.”
Chicken-flavoured cat or dog food is ideal, or better yet, bespoke hedgehog biscuits. You can also leave out a dish of water for them. But if you see one during the day, it’s recommended to call your local hedgehog rescue, as if you see it before nightfall, it could mean it’s “very ill or not weigh enough to survive hibernation.”
So what other bits can you do around the garden to prepare for November? Here’s some other things you can try.
1. Leave these on the floor
Whilst birds do not hibernate, they do need to consume enough calories per day to survive each night. And there are plenty of ways you can attract them.
The garden experts urged people with outdoor space to allow migrant birds such as “redwings and fieldfares flock to gardens in bad weather and feast on windfall fruit.” Asking people not to clean it up, it also noted that “butterflies and other insects may also feed from them when sources of nectar have dried up.”
2. Do this for wildlife
Hibernating wildlife needs dry and quiet places to shelter through the winter. You can help by creating habitat piles using logs, branches, and other garden debris.
You should pick a secluded corner where the pile will not be disturbed and start building it with the largest materials at the base. The damp sections near the bottom will attract amphibians looking for cool, moist spots, while the drier areas above will provide shelter for insects and small mammals.
3. Provide calorie-rich food for birds
If you want to help garden birds this winter, they need extra calories to provide them with enough energy to survive the cold nights. The BBC experts suggested: “Choose calorie-rich peanuts, sunflower hearts and suet products, and keep the feeders topped up as the birds will come to rely on them.”
4. Trim hedges
It is against the law to disturb nesting birds in spring. Although most birds don’t begin nesting until April or May, some species start claiming breeding territories as early as January. Pruning hedges now helps avoid disturbing them later in the season. You can read all their tips and tricks via the BBC Gardeners World Magazin website. Let us know if you try any of these in the comments.