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It’s always fascinating, and stimulating, when people ask me to identify insects they’ve found in their gardens. On Monday I was stopped by one of the teachers at six-year-old’s school and shown an image of a brightly coloured moth on his phone. I

If I had to describe myself, I'd say I was a nature lover. I'm forever taking the side of birds, insects, amphibians and mammals, and can argue the case for just about any creature, even pests. But at this time of year there is one exception

-like-bugs-any-bugs-at-all sort of detached scientific curiosity. There is a bit of that. But mostly, it is because if we have a good year for wasps, we also have a good year for so many other insects. It’s all tied in to their seasonal emergence behaviour.Unlike bees, which can

Winter wildlifeMost garden wildlife hibernates over winter, as food is in short supply and freezing temperatures make life difficult. Learn how to help wild creatures through the cold winter months, below.In winter, wild animals and insects hunker

, to attract beneficial insectsThin out seedlings from earlier sowingsEarth-up potatoes by pulling soil up around their stemsBuy pheromone traps to hang in apple and plum trees to control pestsSow seeds of the following crops this week if conditions are fine

Lay new turf and re-sow bare patches of lawnPot up colchicums into decorative containers for bringing into the housePut up bug boxes to provide places for beneficial insects to hibernateCut attractive seed heads for indoor arrangementsSpread netting

by windCheck bulbs and tubers in storage for signs of rotRake up leaves to compost into leaf-mouldSow a green manure crop of field beans on bare soilBuild a log pile for beneficial insects and animals to use for hibernationSend off for new seed and bulb

in the shed over winterBuild log piles to provide winter hibernation sites for insects and small animalsCheck tree ties and loosen any that are too tightWrap insulation around outdoor taps and water pipesOrder bare-rooted hedging for winter planting

I've always been rather sceptical about the benefits of bug boxes, ladybird and lacewing hotels and other artificial constructions marketed to improve the roosting conditions for helpful insects in the garden. I was once given a solar-powered insect

at the edge of the water in total darkness with bats swirling around me.Like so much of our wildlife, bats are having a hard time. This is mostly due to the widespread use of pesticides in agriculture. British bats feed exclusively on insects, so spraying