How To Look Out For Garden Wildlife in Early Spring

March can be a tricky time for the wildlife in your garden. The long, hard winter is over and spring has sprung, but sudden cold-snaps can be just too much for creatures whose reserves have been depleted by the winter and for those who have been lured too early from their period of hibernation. You can do your part in your own garden to help the wildlife that shares your space with you. Here are some of the things you can do for garden wildlife in March:

Nesting Birds

If you do not yet have nesting boxes for birds in your garden then get them up quickly to provide a safe, comfortable place for garden birds to nest. You should also make sure, if you do not already, that you have feeders filled. When feeding the birds in spring, make sure there is nothing with chunks that are too big, as these can choke fledgelings. You should also make sure that, throughout the spring, you clean bird tables and bird baths regularly.

Bees

Sleepy bees will be out and about in your garden this month and solitary bees will be looking for their new homes. Build or buy bee hotels so they can stay safely in your garden. A home for these solitary bees will colonise a bee hotel in the spring, staying there and hibernating over the following winter. You should also make sure that there are enough early blooms to attract bees into your garden, so they will be around to pollinate your plants in the months to come.

Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs will be waking up and coming out to look for food. If you have hedgehogs in your garden you should leave out some food for them, so they are strong and can weather any cold weather that may still come before the summer. You should leave out minced meat, meaty dog or cat food or chopped boiled eggs for the hedgehogs, alongside some fresh, clean water. Do not give milk as this will make the hedgehogs unwell.

Frogs

If you do not yet have a wildlife pond in your garden, March is a good time to dig one and populate it with a variety of plants. If you already have a pond, March is a good time to introduce frogspawn and populate it. You may not need the populate your pond as the frogs may turn up on their own but this depends on where your pond in located and the proximity of other watersources.

Butterflies

Early butterflies will be emerging this month as the temperatures begin to rise and there are more hours of sunshine. You may see brimstone butterflies, commas and perhaps even cabbage whites if the weather is particularly fine. Make sure you have carefully considered planting that will attract these butterflies to your garden and encourage them to remain there.