There is plenty that you can do to benefit nature and attract and aid wildlife in your garden. And remember, what benefits wildlife also benefits you, as a gardener. The more biodiversity you can bring to your space, the more vibrant and resilient it will be.
Ransoms offers a wide range of wildlife care products, from food to water sources, and shelters to special cleaning products to ensure the animals in your garden stay healthy.
Garden Birds
Our largest range within wildlife care is bird food. We’re one of the largest stockists of garden bird products in Jersey, and take care to stock only the best and most sustainable food sources.
Providing suitable foods has been shown to increase over-winter survival rates and improve nesting success. Garden birds can struggle to find enough food to feed both themselves and their nestlings, so feeding outside of the winter season is beneficial. Birds have different nutritional needs in each season. In winter, fats are needed more, whereas calcium is needed more in Spring to help then with creating a strong egg and prevent being egg-bound when laying.
To keep feeders and water sources clean, make sure you disinfect them at least once a week to prevent deceases amongst birds. You will find special sprays in our wild bird area that are gentle to birds but hard on droppings.
Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs are an indicator species, meaning their presence in our gardens signals that there is good biodiversity in the form of their favourite snacks: snails, earthworms and other small insects. Hedgehogs also love eating a baby bird or an egg when it gets the chance, they are absolute omnivores.
The humble hedgehog has suffered terribly over the last few decades with the changing landscape and our fast paced lifestyles having a detrimental effect on the hedgehog population. Some estimates suggest that Hedgehogs could be extinct in the UK within just 10 years. That’s why it’s essential we make our gardens into havens, to help support their ongoing survival.
We stock special wet and dry hedgehog food, filled with essential minerals and vitamins, by brands like Brambles, Spike’s and Tom Chambers. Always make sure to offer water in a shallow bowl when offering hedgehog foods.
You will also find hedgehog houses in our assortment, for them to have a safe and comfy sleep or hideaway.
Pollinators and other critters
We love all animals, big and small and everything in between. And we especially care for our pollinators, of which we see hundreds, if not thousands, a day in our outside plant department. In the wildlife care section you will find bug hotels, to offer bees and other pollinators a safe place to spend the cold winter months.
To help keep bees and other insects hydrated, we recommend having a birds bath or plant tray filled with stones, moss and standing water. Bees prefer so called ‘dirty water’ and get the minerals they need from it. The moss and stones will help them land safely and prevent drowning.
You will also find special swan and duck food, made up from nutritional foods like peas, rice, corn and other food that will benefit our cute pond friends. These special pellet float, so that they won’t clog water ways or cause decay and deceases on the bottom of pond, rivers and reservoirs.
