Wildlife

Wildlife-Friendly Garden Maintenance

Common garden maintenance practices can harm wildlife or create beneficial habitat depending on timing, methods, and products used.

Key Facts

Leaving grass unmown from April to July creates habitat for invertebrates and nesting birds
Garden bonfires should be built immediately before lighting as hedgehogs and toads use them for shelter
Slug pellets containing metaldehyde poison hedgehogs, frogs, and birds that consume affected slugs
Autumn pruning should be delayed until March to protect nesting birds and hibernating insects

Welfare Considerations

Garden maintenance decisions have direct welfare consequences for wildlife using garden habitats. Mowing at the wrong time destroys nesting attempts. Burning bonfire material with wildlife inside causes death through burning. Chemical use kills non-target animals. Timing maintenance to avoid sensitive wildlife periods and substituting safer alternatives removes harm while achieving the same garden goals.

What You Can Do

Create a No Mow May area in your garden to support pollinators and ground-nesting birds
Check before disturbing compost heaps, log piles, and bonfire material for hibernating animals
Substitute slug pellets with copper tape, barriers, or biological controls
Delay autumn hedge trimming until birds have finished nesting in October