Hedgehogs

We grow flowers in our gardens for our own enjoyment. But colour and perfume are really the plants’ way of advertising themselves to insects. Sweet nectar and protein-rich pollen are bait to encourage insects to visit. In return, pollen is carried from one flower to another on their bodies so the flowers are fertilised. Bees are among the most beneficial insects for a garden. The best way to attract them to your garden is to provide them with some of their favourite plants such as lavender, foxgloves, rosemary, sunflowers and bluebells. Flowers with long narrow petal tubes, such as evening primrose and honeysuckle, are visited by moths and butterflies. Only their long tongues can reach deep down to the hidden nectar. Short-tongued insects include many families of flies and some moths. They can only reach nectar in flowers with short florets. Hoverflies, wasps, ladybirds, lacewings, ground beetles and centipedes are the gardener’s friends and will help control garden pests such as aphids and caterpillars. Insects such as spiders, mites, millipedes, sow bugs, ants, springtails and beetles inhabit the soil food web in the uppermost 2 to 8 inches of soil. They participate in decomposing plant and animal residue, cycling nutrients, creating soil structure and controlling the populations of other soil organisms, including harmful crop pests. Decaying organic matter in soil is the source of energy and nutrients for garden vegetables and ornamental plants. By growing flowers attractive to a range of insects, our gardens can also become important feeding stations for bats, hedgehogs, birds and other wildlife. The most important factor when encouraging wildlife into your garden is not to use insecticides.

Der Einsatz von Insektiziden in Gärten, Grünanlagen und in der Landwirtschaft vergiftet Insekten und ihre Jäger - Vögel und Fledermäuse. Intensive Grünflächenpflege in öffentlichen und privaten Anlagen führt zum Rückgang von Insekten und damit zu schwindendem Nahrungsangebot für alle Insekten fressenden Tierarten. Eine englische Studie zeigt auf, dass Haussperlinge auch bei ausreichendem Angebot von geeigneten Brutplätzen eine zu geringe Reproduktionsrate aufweisen, weil die nötigen Insekten zur Jungenaufzucht fehlen – zwei von drei Jahresbruten verhungern, die Bestände sinken. Und in der Tat mangelt es Haussperlingen Passer domesticus in den heutigen Städten nicht nur eklatant an Brutplätzen, sondern auch an Insekten als Nestlingsnahrung, Samen tragenden Wildstauden und –gräsern als Nahrung für die Altvögel und an Sand- und Wasserflächen zur Gefiederpflege. Der Rückgang des einstigen Allerweltsvogels kann als Indikator für die Bestandsentwicklung anderer Stadt bewohnender Tierarten dienen.