5 ways to help wildlife in October 2022

From feeding birds to creating habitats, find out what you can be doing for wildlife in October 2022.

1. Make Habitat piles

Hibernating wildlife typically needs somewhere dry and undisturbed to bed down for the winter. Creating habitat piles from logs, twigs and other garden debris can provide the perfect spot for them. Choose an out-of-the-way corner that you won’t disturb, and build your pile, starting with the largest items. Damper areas at the bottom attract hibernating amphibians, while drier areas support insects and small mammals.

2. Provide calorie-rich food for birds

We should feed the birds all year round, but in winter garden birds need extra calories, to provide them with the energy they need to survive the cold nights. Choose calorie-rich peanuts, sunflower hearts and suet products, and keep the feeders topped up as the birds will come to rely on them.

3. Feed hedgehogs

Leave out chicken-flavoured cat or dog food, or bespoke hedgehog biscuits, for hedgehogs until it’s no longer taken. Don’t forget to leave out a dish of water as well. Remember to call your local hedgehog rescue if you see a hedgehog out during the day – it could be very ill or not weigh enough to survive hibernation.

4. Collect leaves

You might not think that mulching helps wildlife, but by collecting leaves each autumn and then using them to mulch your borders the following year, you are replicating the natural cycles of death and regeneration you would find on the woodland floor. Leaf mould is a fantastic resource that will increase worm activity in the soil, as well as provide habitats for critters such as centipedes and beetles to hide. Birds, too, will pick among the debris for a feast.

5. Trim your hedges

It is illegal to disturb nesting birds in spring but, while they won’t start nesting until April or May, some species establish breeding territories as early as January. Trimming hedges now will therefore ensure minimal disturbance. surf&turf garden services offer a professional hedge trimming service, message us for a free no-obligation quote.