The vibrant autumn colours are truly here as we move into the hibernation period for our wildlife. Before you engage in your seasonal tidy-up, stop and think about those who may be seeking out a quiet wild area to create a warm shelter for the duration of the winter.
Vulnerable hibernating wildlife such as bats, hedgehogs and amphibians need protection from the harsh weather and predators. With the help of wildlife specialist CJ Wildlife, you can assist these creatures in their preparation by supplying supplementary food, feeding houses and hibernation boxes.
Bonfires can potentially pose a major threat to garden wildlife as they look like the ideal shelter, but with a little extra care these threats are easily avoided. Try to keep the dry material off the ground or in small heaps until just before lighting the fire or move the collected material a short distance before burning it. If you come across a ball of leaves you’ve probably found a hedgehog’s winter nest, so put the nest and some of the material back and think about how many slugs your prickly friend will eat in the spring!
You can place small log piles or bundles of sticks in quiet parts of the garden or consider buying a wildlife house. A hedgehog house, sited in a quiet part of the garden with some weather protection and inviting leaves at the entrance, should increase the chances of getting a tenant for the winter.
Hedgehogs also need a good store of body fat to sustain them through the winter, so provide a good quality food, ideally a specialist supplementary hedgehog food, and of course water, but avoid putting out milk which tends to make them ill.
Bats can be seen and heard in the night sky in the autumn, well before Halloween, but need significant protection too so an additional roosting space in the form of a bat box locate high up with a clear flight path in would do just the job.
And you may not be aware of the frogs and toads in the undergrowth who are looking for a safe place in which to await the spring. Undisturbed areas of long grass and logs, or purpose-made frog and toad houses, like Vierno Froglü, are ideal shelters.
By following this simple advice, we can all help to ensure the survival of some of our well-loved British creatures as well as enjoying our gardens including a fun-filled bonfire night, without putting them at risk.
CJ Wildlife stock a range of hibernation boxes and care products for a variety of wildlife and you can benefit from a 10% discount using the code UKHPET18. Visit www.birdfood.co.uk or call FREEPHONE 0800 731 2820 to find out more.
