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Stag beetle habitat
Kate Brandon
Posts: 1
in Talkback
we have a plum tree which, unfortunately, needs cutting down. We wanted to use the wood to create a habitat for stag beetles. But we keep reading that Apple, and a number of other trees are suitable choices for the logs, but no mention of plum trees. Do you think plum tree logs would work?
0
Posts
I think it is worth a try. The key thing is to have some rotting wood around, we have willow log piles and they work for the stag beetles I'm a great believer in use what you have - but having said that we did buy in our willow logs as we didn't have any mature willow trees to cut down lol.
I get a few in the garden every year but I'm not sure if they are greater or lesser. I shall have to ask them to stand side by side so I can check!
Then I'd go with greater. Jaws as big as the body, whole beastie maybe 3-4" long.
Any tree rots down eventually so plum will.
Willow is quick
Blackthorn is slow.
I have heaps of mixed logs for the beetles etc but they still risk their lives using the log pile for the woodburner Most of that pile doesn't rot enough but there's always a few
In the sticks near Peterborough
Sadly we don't have the space CN, our neighours hate us to have a single tree in the garden, though they are quite happy to have a massive willow in theirs! The only tree we have is a single willow I coppice every year, if I let it grow we get letters from the neighbours insurance company. So never been able to let it grow large enough for logs. We buy in huge ones, 3ft long by about 18 inch diameter for the wildlife garden, fortunately they only need topping up every 5 years or so.
PS I never have any trouble finding uses for cut willow, it makes superb habitat piles for reptiles and amphibians, birds and bugs when piled up.