When it comes to the summer months, we all love spending time outdoors.

It isn’t just our friends and families who visit our gardens either, it’s local wildlife. No matter where you live in the UK, whether it’s a rural location or a busy city, wildlife always finds a way into your backyard.

Hedgehogs, squirrels and plenty of types of bird are the most frequent visitors to gardens, and they’re always on the hunt for one thing – a bite to eat.

Putting food and water out for any visiting wildlife is especially important during periods of dry, hot weather, when natural resources can become scarce. As the climate continues to change, with the UK experiencing longer hotter summers than previously, it’s never been more important to support local wildlife.

Below, we’ve outlined the dos and don’ts of feeding local wildlife, including what they love to tuck into and why providing food for them is so important to our eco-systems.

Feeding garden birds

You don’t need to be an avid bird watcher to appreciate the feathered friends frequently flying to your doorstep. In the UK, there are over 620 species of wild birds, with the top three most common garden birds being house sparrows, blue tits and starlings.

During the summer months, birds of all species require high protein foods, especially while they are moulting.

If you’re going to leave food out for birds, make sure to only feed selected foods at this time of year. These foods include black sunflower seeds, pinhead oatmeal, soaked sultanas, raisins and currants, mild grated cheese, mealworms, waxworms, mixes for insectivorous birds, good seed mixtures without loose peanuts.

Avoid using peanuts, fat and bread at this time, since these can be harmful if adult birds feed them to their nestlings. If you feel you must put out peanuts, only do so in suitable mesh bird feeders that will not allow sizeable pieces of peanuts to be taken, reducing the choking risk to chicks.

Temporary food shortage can occur at almost any time of the year, not just in cold winter months. If this happens during the breeding season, extra food on your bird table can make a big difference to the survival of young birds.

Shop our range of bird feeds and bird feeders now.

Feeding local hedgehogs

Are you lucky enough to have a hedgehog visiting your garden? These much-loved mammals are a symbol of British wildlife, but they’re in trouble. Over the last 25 years alone, the population of hedgehogs have declined by almost two-thirds, with habitat loss playing a huge factor.

Evidence suggests this decline is most severe in rural areas and hedgehogs are actually faring better in our towns and villages than the countryside. This means gardens can be an important refuge for the species. One way you can help any visiting hogs is to provide some food.

Wild hedgehogs eat a wide range of natural foods, but the key items are invertebrates such as worms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, millipedes and earwigs. There are also specially made hedgehog foods available, which contain all the nutrition needed for these nocturnal creatures. Cat biscuits and pet food also provide a nutritious meal.

You can help hedgehogs by setting up a safe retreat or creating a hedgehog house in your garden and providing some hedgehog-friendly food and water. Make sure your garden is attractive to hedgehogs by leaving compost heaps, overgrown areas and log piles as they are.

Ramps to ponds and water supplies can also be helpful to hedgehogs, as well as ensuring your garden space is clear of rubbish or clutter.

Shop our range of hedgehog food here.