Winter can be a challenging time for many wild animals. The cold, lack of food and restricted habitats are hard on them. But with a little attention and support, garden and balcony owners in particular can help animals survive the winter better.
One of the simplest ways to support animals in winter is to provide food. Birds and small mammals find little to eat in the cold, ice and snow. Garden and balcony owners can help them find food by setting up feeding stations. Squirrels, for example, particularly enjoy hazelnuts and walnuts as well as unsalted peanuts, corn, dried fruit and carrots.
Bird feeders are also a great way to ensure that the animals have access to food sources. Grain eaters such as sparrows, tits or finches like sunflower seeds, peanuts, wheat and oat grains or hemp and linseed. Soft feeders such as blackbirds, robins and wrens prefer fruit, berries and insect larvae. Where possible, ambrosia-free food should be purchased. The ragweed plant is a non-native species and is often spread via bird food. To prevent the spread, it also helps to check the area around the feeder to see if the plant is growing there.
It is definitely advisable to set up the feeders before the first frosts. This is because the animals need time to find the feeding areas and are much more active in warmer temperatures than in the cold.
However, the most productive and most suitable food supply for native species is provided by those who design their garden to be diverse and natural. Perennials and grasses that are allowed to remain standing over the winter, apples and wild fruit under trees as well as chestnuts, acorns and other garden fruits are the ideal food for many wild animals. But it is not only the food supply that is limited in winter. As water sources often freeze in winter, both birds and small mammals such as squirrels are happy to have a bowl of fresh water that is regularly cleaned and replaced.
To offer small animals protection in winter, nesting boxes can also be hung up and shelters built from branches and leaves. Insect hotels, dry stone walls or piles of stones can also be provided or old wood, dried plant stems and other above-ground cavities can be left in the garden until early summer to create sheltered retreats for animals. It is also advisable to reduce the lighting in the garden, as too much artificial light can disturb nocturnal animals.
With these simple measures, everyone can make a valuable contribution to ensuring that the animals in our environment survive the winter healthy and safe.
