How to Help Wildlife In the Dry hot Weather

[CelticSparrow Jan]

I thought it would be a good idea for us to share any tips on helping the wildlife in the hot sunny weather.

This is a simple idea I saw on tv,bees and other insects need to drink and can easily drown in bird baths so fill a shallow saucer or tray with gravel and add a little water .

I have made this one today 

[Feedyourhedgehog]

A great idea for a thread Jan.....I have a similar water feature to you...filled with marbles and stones.......I also have a muddy puddle for butterflies...as recommended by  Butterfly conservation...

From the fluids on wet soil, dung or carrion they are able to obtain nutrients such as salts and amino acids that play various roles in their physiology, ethology and ecology.

I've only ever seen wasps in it 

[dovetail-Marg]

I agree Paula, this is a brilliant thread Jan.

I've noticed wasps drinking from the bird bath, luckily mine has a gentle slope on one side, but they could still drown. Those are brilliant tips Jan and Paula, and I'll definitely put out a shallow container with small stones/gravel and water tomorrow. 

[Eric]

Jan, an excellent idea for a thread. Luckily our ponds serve as a great drinking supply for animals and insects. There are often bees at the edge of the water on the sloping sides and the duckweed, which we can never get rid of acts as a platform for smaller insects. The Muntjacs gulp water out of them and the birds use the ponds to bathe in too.

[AnnB]

Great tips, Jan and Paula.

[davebutterflyman]

Some great ideas there Jan and Paula. We have a small pond and a few water dishes out but we'll try the one with the gravel in the bottom and see what turns up. The mud puddle is a classic and works really well. I have seen well into three figures of butterflies in numerous species at one such puddle in southern Turkey before, and at a well known site in Greece.

[CelticSparrow Jan]

That is a good tip Paula,another easy one that can help our wildlife

[Night Owl.]

An excellent idea for a thread Jan

And 2 brilliant ideas to start it off Jan & Paula, I'll be making both of those tomorrow

[davebutterflyman]

Some cheap and interesting ideas on this link.

wildlifegadgetman.com/my-top-tips-for-providing-water-for-wildlife-in-hot-weather/

[AnnB]

Great link, Dave. I love the water feature made from the paint roller tray.

[Eric]

That is an excellent link, Dave, it makes me think I should add a few thinks to help creatures get in and out of our ponds. We have an old dustbin lid too.

[davebutterflyman]

It's amazing what you can do for literally no money at all.

[CelticSparrow Jan]

Some good tips there Dave,frogs and toads must be in need of some damp shade,not all wildlife will be enjoying this weather.

[davebutterflyman]

It's hard for wildlife in this weather.

Julie has made one of the bowls of water with stones in and it is in place down the bottom of our garden.

[Grayling]

Some good tips here and some great ideas on the link you provided Dave.

I think I'll be putting in some escape routes in my pond.  I have a frog/toad house already but no idea whether it has ever been utilised.

I've been putting out dog bowls of water at night time for a while now for my visiting badgers as I read they dehydrate very easily as it is, so this weather can't be doing them any good.

[Night Owl.]

A great link Dave, I like the Paint roller tray water feature idea

[davebutterflyman]

Good idea to put an escape route in Grayling, we have one in place for our hogs.

We could do that Julie, we have about five of them in the garage!

[davebutterflyman]

Since increasing the number of water resources on the garden we have had increased users such as the Blackbird bathing and drinking out of the large blue bowl, hoverflies using the shallow dish with pebbles and wasps drinking from the pond.

[Pam]

Brilliant ideas on here. I moved our plant drip tray which we keep on a chimeneypot down to the ground so all critters can use it but I`m off to make a few other things now.
We did trim our Hazel last year & just to get rid of it piled it on to a patch & partially covered it with some soil & logs, it`s great because it has lots of hidey holes & I keep it watered. Have seen frogs in there

[Grayling]

That's great Dave and Pam 

Pam, I did that with the long stems of my buddleia cuttings but didn't think to add soil and water - will do that when I next prune it.