Though you might be annoyed at the profusion of wildlife the warmer weather brings to your garden (slugs, chafer grubs, and other ‘pests’ very much included), most of our lawns could benefit from more, not less, fauna.
The UK bird population has almost halved over the past 50 years. Our wildlife in general is desperately struggling at the moment.
Good news: the responsible gardener can offer low-effort recourse. Placing a washing-up bowl in your garden, taking part in “no-mow May”, and even keeping a little saucer of water out can all help.
But even the least sanctimonious gardener has reason to encourage wildlife like hedgehogs and slow worms to their lawn; they work as a natural pest repellent.
And according to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, placing sticks near areas of water in your garden can attract a born mozzie killer, too.
Dragonflies eat mosquitoes
Jon Saeed, managing director of Lighting Legends, told HuffPost UK that “the warm summer evenings can also bring along more mosquitos who thrive in humid environments”.
Mosquitoes are at their bite-iest from about May to September.
Attracting birds, bats and dragonflies to your lawn can lower their numbers as they eat mosquitoes, Saeed added. The Woodland Trust said they devour midges and flies too.
If you want to encourage more dragonflies (and damselflies!) to your garden, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust advises placing some sticks near your pond or other areas of standing water, where mosquitoes usually thrive.
That’s because, they said, “dragonflies and damselflies love to perch! You can create perfect resting spots by placing sticks or plant stems near your pond”.
The Trust added: “They’ll use these natural lookout points to scout for prey or find a mate.”
That’s far from the only method
Adding rocks to your pond allows the flies to “sunbathe”, which dragonflies and damselflies love.
Welcoming wildflowers, avoiding chemical pesticides (like slug repellants), and providing some shade can all work too.
Number one on their list, though, was providing a “mini-pond” – one of the best things you can do to help struggling wildlife, and which is possible to create with a simple washing-up bowl.