Get into gardening

A dog is not the only animal that can be mans best friend. In your garden there are loads of creatures that can help you achieve better results – you just need to have the right conditions for them to appear.

The best way to attract wildlife is to garden organically. This means using nature friendly products and materials. You also need to be prepared to leave the garden alone to get on with its business – natural selection and all.

Here’s a guide on what animals to encourage:

Birds to encourage

The following birds will eat pests in their diet…

Insect eaters: Blue Tits, Blackbirds, Robins, Starlings, Great Tits, Magpies, Song Thrush and Wren. Slug and snail eaters: Song Thrush, Fieldfares and Black Birds.

Insects to encourage

The following are all renowned insect eaters…

Pest eaters: Ladybirds, hoverflies, wasps (particularly parasitic species), ground beetles and lacewings. Slug and snail eaters: Ground beetles and centipedes.

Useful creatures to encourage

The following will eat pests in their diet…

Insect eaters: Centipedes, spiders, hedgehogs, frogs, toads, slow worms, newts, lizards and bats. Slug and snail eaters: Hedgehogs, frogs, toads, newts and slow worms.

Features to include in your garden:

Compost heap – where slow worms can breed and hedgehogs can hibernate.

Piles of logs – to provide a hiding place for frogs, amphibians and ground beetles.

Thick hedge – to provide cover and suitable nesting sites for birds.

Garden pond – to increase the range of habitats in the garden and offer somewhere for birds to wash and drink.

Long grass and nettles – to encourage many insects, providing food for insect-eating predators and provide cover for many beneficial creatures.

Berrying shrubs and trees – to provide food, shelter and nesting sites.