5 ways to look after your garden wildlife this summer

Heatwave warnings may come as exciting news to us humans, but for your local wildlife, the hotter conditions can have damaging effects and leave them struggling to cope. The heat can dry up water sources and also result in harder ground conditions, making it difficult for fauna to find food.

We’ve compiled five simple ways to care for any small visitors that may need a helping hand this summer.

As the temperatures increase, the ground can dry up and become hard. This makes it harder for small creatures such as birds and frogs to find natural food sources like worms in the ground. To relieve this, additional foods like bird seed can be left out and tinned pet food can be used to feed hedgehogs.

Wild plants can start to die in hot, dry conditions. Regularly watered plants in gardens will become a lifeline for insects such as bees and butterflies, and this can be easily achieved with our Irrigatia kits. We use weather-responsive SMART irrigation controllers, that uniquely use solar power, to detect the changes in weather and alter watering according to the conditions.

Our Irrigatia system requires minimal supervision as it will water your plants automatically, using drip irrigation as an eco-friendly way to water them, every three hours and for longer when sunny. It’s an efficient and resource-conscious way to ensure your garden and allotments are well-watered in the heat.

Many animals will seek shade during hot periods. Cold-blooded creatures like frogs need shade to regulate body temperature, and warm-blooded animals need shelter to avoid heat stress. An easy way to create a shaded area is to create rock piles or branch piles. Even logs, stone slabs, and tall grass could be used as a shelter for local fauna.

Birdbaths are a great way to care for smaller birds in hot conditions. By topping up birdbaths regularly, you’re ensuring that they can easily drink and bathe themselves.

Providing more water sources by leaving out containers of water in the garden, or creating a makeshift pond, will help out small creatures such as hedgehogs stay hydrated. Just make sure to create a slope they don’t get stuck in the pond!

The heat often coaxes us out to tackle garden-related tasks which can lead to overly manicured lawns. It may actually be more beneficial to both yourself and your garden wildlife to let things grow a little wild. Longer grass can provide shelter for insects by creating a microclimate underneath the stalks, and less mowing means more flowers for bees to pollinate.

But it’s also important to find a balance as mown areas are helpful for creatures like robins to find food in the ground. Perhaps having a neat lawn with some areas of un-cut long grass will help you to achieve said balance. Essentially, a more relaxed approach to garden maintenance will help local wildlife thrive in the heat and you can spend more time relaxing in the sunshine.

Take a look at our latest blogs for more gardening tips and ways to save time and water this spring and summer.

Remember to follow our social media channels to keep up to date with our latest growing journeys in the Irrigatia garden!