Allotments are a great space to encourage wildlife and by doing so you can increase the benefits to you crops and enhance your enjoyment of your allotment.
Why encourage wildlife?
Supporting wildlife on your allotment can create better pollination, increase natural pest controls, increase long-term productivity and produce a more balanced and healthier eco-system. Key wildlife to try and encourage include insects, birds, amphibians and mammals.
Insects – Many insects will prey on others, (like aphids), helping to reduce the number of pests as well as some feed off of organic matter, breaking it down to increase the condition of soil and compost.
Birds – Although the dreaded pigeon may wish to wipe out your crop of brassicas, many of the smaller bird species will help control pest numbers by eating insects as well as slugs and snails. your can protect crops from birds by netting you beds, but ensure birds cannot get tangled in the netting.
Amphibians – Frogs and toads are also good to help reduce the number of slugs you may have on your allotment.
Mammals – Hedgehogs and bats can help reduce the number of insect related pest whilst having a fox visiting your allotment can help reduce the number of rodents and rabbits etc.
How to encourage wildlife?
There are many ways to encourage wildlife to your allotment. Providing habitats such as bug hotels or leaving a pile of logs or leaves on your allotment can create homes for many beneficial insects. Maintaining hedgerows or grassy areas and adding nesting boxes can provide homes for birds. Proving food for birds or a water source for refreshment will entice birds to visit. Small ponds will attract amphibians and planting plants the are recommended for pollinating insects like bees and butterflies will improve pollination of your crops.
Check the Tenancy Agreement or speak to a committee member about the rules a on habitat creation or building a pond on site. There is also lots of information on the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust website.
https://www.warwickshirewildlifetrust.org.uk
Also check our month-by-month Encouraging Wildlife Guide and our Lansdowne Allotments Wildlife Watch page to find out what wildlife has been seen on site recently.