Birds and Insects

Attract and support birds, bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects in your garden.

A pedunculate oak heavy with acorns in a UK mast year, golden autumn light

Wildlife 19 June 2026 11 min read

What Is a Mast Year? UK Acorn Boom Years

What is a mast year? A UK guide to oak and beech boom years, the science of predator satiation, wildlife effects and what gardeners notice.

Autumn flowering plants for bees with honeybees and a bumblebee feeding on sedum and verbena in a UK garden

Wildlife 4 June 2026 13 min read

Autumn Bee Plants: 13 Late Nectar Stars

Autumn flowering plants for bees: 13 late-season forage plants ranked by nectar value, from ivy to mahonia, with a UK month-by-month feeding calendar.

A seven-spot ladybird feeding on a colony of black aphids on a green stem in a UK garden, macro detail

Wildlife 4 June 2026 14 min read

Good Bugs vs Bad Bugs in Your Garden

Good bugs and bad bugs guide for UK gardens. Identify beneficial insects vs garden pests, spot larvae you mistake for pests, and balance predators.

Goldfinches and blue tits feeding on a clean tube feeder in a UK suburban garden, with three feeders spaced well apart

Wildlife 4 June 2026 13 min read

RSPB Bird Feeding Rules: What to Do Now

The new RSPB bird feeding rules explained: the summer pause, banned flat feeders, weekly cleaning, water hygiene and the action list for UK gardens.

A UK garden in a heatwave showing house sparrows visiting a shallow water dish in dappled shade with a sunshade above the bird feeding station

Wildlife 27 May 2026 8 min read

Garden Birds in a UK Heatwave: Water and Shade

Helping UK garden birds in a heatwave: water sources, shaded feeders, high-energy food in extreme heat, and Met Office amber warning response.

Wildlife log pile UK with stacked oak and beech logs in a shady garden corner, ferns and moss colonising the base

Wildlife 27 May 2026 13 min read

How to Build a Wildlife Log Pile UK

Build a UK wildlife log pile that lasts 10 years. Hardwood vs softwood, optimal 1m x 1m x 1.5m size, species it attracts, and maintenance.

A UK gardener cleaning a tube bird feeder in a sink with a bottle brush and warm soapy water, with several feeders awaiting attention on the kitchen counter

Wildlife 26 May 2026 9 min read

Clean Bird Feeders UK: Post-Trich Hygiene

How to clean bird feeders UK: trichomonosis prevention, the BTO hygiene protocol, weekly disinfection, water bath care, and signs of disease.

Eurasian wren perched in dense low ivy and hawthorn cover in a UK garden, cocked tail and pale eye stripe visible

Wildlife 20 May 2026 13 min read

Attract Wrens to UK Gardens: Cover and Boxes

How to attract wrens to a UK garden with dense low cover, open-front nest boxes and log piles. Tested in Staffordshire over 16 years.

Queen buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris foraging on a purple Crocus tommasinianus flower in a UK garden in early March

Wildlife 20 May 2026 16 min read

Feb-April Pollinator Plants: 14 UK Picks

Fourteen early-spring pollinator plants ranked by emergence date for UK queen bumblebees, solitary bees and brimstone butterflies. Pollen-rich picks.

Group of house sparrows feeding in a UK garden hedge with a wooden colonial nest box visible

Wildlife 19 May 2026 14 min read

Attract House Sparrows: 7 Steps for UK Gardens

Bring house sparrows back to your UK garden with seven proven steps. Hedges, colonial nest boxes, summer insect food, water, and dust baths.

Wildlife-friendly UK allotment with wildflower pollinator strip between vegetable beds

Wildlife 13 April 2026 14 min read

Wildlife-Friendly Allotments: Grow & Help

Turn your allotment into a wildlife haven without losing harvests. Pollinator strips, hedgehog highways, log piles, and no-dig methods that boost yields.

Beekeeper inspecting a beehive frame covered in honey bees in a UK garden

Wildlife 13 April 2026 16 min read

Beekeeping for Beginners: UK Starter Guide

Beekeeping for beginners in the UK. Covers hive types, equipment costs, seasonal inspections, honey harvests, disease management, and BBKA membership.

Centipede crawling across damp soil between garden seedlings in a UK garden

Wildlife 4 April 2026 10 min read

Centipede vs Millipede: Garden Guide

Centipede vs millipede in your garden: how to tell them apart, which helps control pests, and when millipedes damage plants. UK identification guide.

Dragonfly hovering above a UK wildlife garden pond with purple loosestrife and yellow flag iris

Wildlife 4 April 2026 12 min read

Dragonflies and Damselflies in the UK

UK guide to dragonflies and damselflies. Covers species ID, pond requirements, lifecycle stages and how to attract them to your garden.

Garden spider on a dew-covered orb web in a UK cottage garden with lavender in the background

Wildlife 3 April 2026 11 min read

Garden Spiders: A UK Guide

Garden spiders control aphids, flies, and mosquitoes without chemicals. Identify 10 common UK species and learn how to encourage them in your garden.

Buff-tailed bumble bee species visiting lavender flowers in a UK garden

Wildlife 2 April 2026 12 min read

Bumble Bee Species Guide for UK Gardens

Identify the 7 most common bumble bee species in UK gardens. Covers flight seasons, nesting habits, and the best plants for each species.

Violet ground beetle with iridescent purple wing cases on damp soil in a UK garden

Wildlife 1 April 2026 12 min read

Ground Beetles in UK Gardens: A Guide

Identify ground beetles in UK gardens and learn how to encourage these slug-eating predators. Species guide, habitat tips, and beetle bank advice.

Red mason solitary bee entering a bamboo tube bee hotel in a UK cottage garden with spring flowers

Wildlife 1 April 2026 14 min read

Solitary Bees in UK Gardens: Full Guide

Identify solitary bees in UK gardens and learn how to encourage them. Covers red mason bees, leafcutters, mining bees, bee hotels, and planting.

Honeybees in a garden visiting lavender flowers in a sunny UK cottage garden border

Wildlife 31 March 2026 14 min read

Honeybees in the Garden: How to Help

Help honeybees in your UK garden with the right plants, water, and pesticide-free care. Covers seasonal planting, colony biology, and swarm advice.

Marmalade hoverfly feeding on yarrow in a UK cottage garden showing hoverflies garden identification markings

Wildlife 31 March 2026 14 min read

Hoverflies in the Garden: ID and Care

Identify common UK hoverflies in your garden and learn which plants attract them. Species guide, lifecycle, and aphid control from field trials.

Green lacewing for pest control perched on a leaf showing translucent wing venation in a UK garden

Wildlife 31 March 2026 14 min read

Lacewings for Garden Pest Control UK

Use lacewings for natural pest control in UK gardens. Covers green and brown lacewing ID, lifecycle, attracting them, and their aphid-eating effectiveness.

Wildlife activities kids exploring a garden with magnifying glass and bug hotel

Wildlife 31 March 2026 14 min read

Wildlife Activities for Kids in the Garden

Wildlife activities for kids in UK gardens. 15 hands-on projects by age group and season, from bug hunts and pond dipping to bird feeder making.

Seven-spot ladybird on a rose leaf in a UK garden with morning dew drops

Wildlife 30 March 2026 12 min read

Ladybirds: Identification and Attraction

Identify common UK ladybirds in your garden and learn how to attract them. Native species, lifecycle, and pest control benefits.

Wasps garden beneficial insects feeding on a ripe apple in a UK orchard in autumn golden light

Wildlife 30 March 2026 12 min read

Wasps in the Garden: Why They Help

Why wasps are beneficial garden insects in the UK. Pest control, pollination, lifecycle, and how to live alongside them safely in your garden.

Painted lady butterfly feeding on purple buddleia flowers in a sunny English garden

Wildlife 4 March 2026 13 min read

Best Plants for Butterflies in the UK

Top nectar and caterpillar food plants for UK butterflies. Covers 59 species, seasonal planting, host plants, and garden design for butterflies.

Robin perched on a wooden bird feeder in an English garden with winter berries in the background

Wildlife 24 February 2026 13 min read

How to Attract Birds to Your Garden

Practical guide to attracting wild birds to UK gardens. Covers feeders, food types, bird baths, nest boxes, planting, and seasonal feeding.

Close-up of a bumblebee on a lavender flower spike with foxgloves and alliums in the background

Wildlife 15 February 2026 13 min read

Best Bee-Friendly Plants for UK Gardens

Attract bees and pollinators with plants that thrive in British conditions. Covers spring, summer, and autumn flowering for year-round forage.

Garden bird feeding station in winter with a robin and blue tits feeding on sunflower hearts and fat balls

Wildlife 15 February 2026 14 min read

Bird Feeding Guide by Season UK

Month-by-month guide to feeding garden birds in the UK. Covers food types, breeding season rules, moulting needs, and winter survival tips.

Common garden birds including a robin and blue tit perched on a bird feeder in a sunny UK garden

Wildlife 26 January 2026 18 min read

Identify Common Garden Birds UK

Learn to identify the 20 most common UK garden birds by sight and sound. Covers size, plumage, calls, diet, and conservation status from RSPB data.

Wildlife-friendly UK garden with a small pond, log pile, and native wildflowers growing in an unmown meadow area

Wildlife 5 December 2025 16 min read

How to Create a Wildlife Garden UK

Turn any UK garden into a wildlife haven. Covers ponds, native planting, hedgehog access, bird feeding, bug hotels, and seasonal wildlife tasks.

Wooden bug hotel filled with bamboo canes, drilled logs, and pine cones mounted on a garden fence

Wildlife 26 November 2025 12 min read

How to Build a Bug Hotel

Step-by-step guide to building a bug hotel for solitary bees, ladybirds, and lacewings. Materials, positioning, and maintenance for UK gardens.

Robin perched on a frost-covered log pile beside a wooden bird feeder in a UK winter garden

Wildlife 8 November 2025 12 min read

Winter Wildlife Garden Guide UK

Month-by-month guide to supporting garden wildlife through winter. Covers bird feeding, hedgehog hibernation, pond care, and plants.