Gardeners urged to put pile of branches in garden this summer

Everyone with a garden is being urged to leave a pile of wood and logs in it this summer.

It has not been a good summer for us or for wildlife either. While we’ve managed to have a decent week this week, with temperatures hitting 31C in parts of the UK, most of this summer has been defined by constant, driving rain.

And the summer washout has been bad news for the animal kingdom too, with long periods of miserable wet weather being given as the reason for so many insects struggling this year.

Gardeners in parts of the UK have reported seeing far fewer bees, butterflies and moths this year, which some are putting down to the long rainy stretches during what is normally insect mating season, which will have a knock on effect on next year’s numbers too.

That’s especially bad news right now because pollinator numbers are so down anyway, with reports suggesting we’ve lost up to 80 percent of our insects in the past 20 years. They are a vital part of the food chain, so that’s bad news for everyone.

Now gardeners are being asked to do their bit to help insects recover.

One way of doing this is with an ‘insect hotel’, or simply, leaving a pile of logs or tree branches in your garden.

Insects need to a place to live and nest in the summer and hibernate into the autumn and winter, so by leaving a log pile in your garden now, you’ll set up the perfect conditions to help bugs survive.

It can be in a shaded, remote corner of the garden far away from the house, and it won’t lead to more spiders coming in.

The Natural History Museum says: “A log pile is the perfect habitat for a range of invertebrates, small mammals and amphibians. 

“The damp environment of logs, bark and leaves provide small places to shelter in and interesting food sources.

"Some creatures will take up permanent residence, while many animals are active at night, so need a safe space during the day. Others may use it as a frost-free location to overwinter.

“Over time, as the wood decays and softens, more animals will be able to make their home in it. Your log pile may also grow visible fungi and mosses.”

The NHM adds that the log pile will attract all sorts of wildlife, including woodlice, centipedes, millipedes, frogs and toads, bumblebees, spiders, beetles and earwigs, so it will be teeming with life if you keep it in the right conditions.

To set one up:

1. Find a damp, shady spot and create a base layer of logs.

2. Push some sturdy sticks into the ground on both sides of your logs, to stop them rolling away.

3. Fill any gaps between your logs with dry leaves.

4. Add a layer of loose bark.

5. Continue adding alternate layers of logs, sticks, bark and leaves, finishing in a pyramid shape. To ensure the log pile is stable, place your biggest logs towards the bottom of the pile.

6. Keep the log pile damp by watering it during dry spells.