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one. The large one would have a few fish in it.The theory is that the small pond would be perfect for breeding frogs, the medium-sized one would attract newts, and the large fishpond would provide the best conditions for toads. Dragon- and damselflies

(and therefore the species that rely on them) is to provide them with breeding habitats. Unlike butterflies, which have quite specific breeding requirements, moths seem less fussy. I've found caterpillars on my foxgloves, primroses and valerian, and I

piles, under sheds and in compost heaps. They breed from early to late-summer, giving birth to up to seven hoglets at a time, and feed on earthworms, beetles, caterpillars, and - happily for gardeners - slugs.I've never seen a hedgehog where I live

most of our countryside is now a series of monocultures which represent few opportunities for wildlife to forage, shelter and breed. By contrast, Jan claims, brownfield sites have become unlikely areas of high insect biodiversity, some of which are now

sited under a hedge and dutifully packed with fallen leaves and hay.Attracting wildlife to your garden can be a bit hit and miss. Bumblebees and butterflies, for example, will happily come to our gardens to forage for food, but often choose to breed

grow for the sole purpose of attracting the speckled wood, which breeds in long grass.When the news broke that sales of artificial grass are soaring, it struck me that a fake lawn might have been a better option for my small patch (roughly 4m²). I

appeared in my garden soon after I converted it from a paved courtyard last year. It's not large enough and doesn't get enough sun to sustain breeding butterflies (most of which require large swathes of nettles in full sun to lay eggs), so I can munch away

, you find your breeding ground has gone.Can these jobs not be done in late-summer, when the birds have fledged, before creatures settle down to hibernate?The pond in the park has been drained again this year, only this time I phoned the council. It didn

to make the bee hotel, without bamboo, sunflower and teasel stems. I think the combination of branches, twigs and chopped trunk will make a varied insect habitat – one which I hope will be used by leafcutter bees to breed in as well as providing ladybirds

of aphids in the United States and Europe. It was free to breed and spread over the continents and eventually all it needed to do was hop over the Channel to the UK. So it did.First spotted in Essex, the harlequin is now virtually everywhere, except for more