How to Safely Feed Wildlife in Your Garden: Tips for Autumn and Winter

As autumn deepens and winter draws closer, many of the UK’s wildlife start preparing for the harsher months. With natural food supplies becoming scarce, feeding wildlife in your garden can provide much-needed sustenance for animals like birds, badgers, foxes, and squirrels. However, it’s essential to do it correctly to ensure you’re supporting local wildlife without disrupting their natural behaviours.

In this blog, we’ll offer tips on how to safely feed wildlife in your garden while fostering a healthy, balanced ecosystem.

1. Feeding Wild Birds

Birds are some of the most frequent visitors to UK gardens, and they often need extra energy during autumn and winter to survive the cold.

• What to Feed: Birds benefit from high-energy foods like seeds, nuts, suet, and fat balls. Sunflower seeds, peanuts (unsalted and not roasted), and mealworms are excellent choices to provide the fats and proteins birds need.
• What to Avoid: Avoid giving birds bread as it offers little nutritional value and can swell up in their stomachs, leading to digestive issues.
• Top Tip: Set up bird feeders in sheltered spots in your garden to protect the birds from predators and harsh weather.

2. Helping Squirrels Stock Up

Squirrels are busy preparing for winter by collecting food to store. They often bury nuts to return to later, so providing them with suitable food helps them build up their winter reserves.

• What to Feed: Offer squirrels unshelled nuts, such as hazelnuts, walnuts, or almonds. They also enjoy vegetables like carrots and leafy greens.
• What to Avoid: Never feed squirrels salted or roasted nuts, which can be harmful to their health.
• Top Tip: Place food in squirrel-specific feeders or scatter it in parts of your garden where squirrels typically forage.

3. Supporting Foxes and Badgers

Foxes and badgers are nocturnal visitors in many UK gardens, especially during autumn when they start preparing for winter.

• What to Feed: Foxes and badgers can eat a varied diet, so suitable foods include dog biscuits, raw meat, unsalted peanuts, and fruit such as apples and pears.
• What to Avoid: Do not give them chocolate, which is toxic, or foods high in sugar and salt. Be mindful of overfeeding, as this could lead to dependency.
• Top Tip: Feed these animals in small quantities and at night, when they are most active. Leave the food in secluded areas of your garden to avoid attracting unwanted attention from pets or other animals.

4. Feeding Hedgehogs Safely

As hedgehogs prepare for hibernation, they need to fatten up to survive the colder months. Unfortunately, hedgehog populations are declining in the UK, so offering them safe food is a great way to support their survival.

• What to Feed: Hedgehogs thrive on cat food (wet or dry), specially formulated hedgehog food, and unsalted peanuts. Make sure fresh water is always available.
• What to Avoid: Never give hedgehogs milk or bread, as these can cause digestive problems and dehydration.
• Top Tip: Set up feeding stations in quiet areas of your garden to keep hedgehogs safe from potential predators like cats and dogs.

5. Creating a Safe and Natural Habitat for Wildlife

Beyond feeding, it’s important to create a wildlife-friendly garden where animals feel safe and can find natural shelter.

• What to Do: Leave piles of leaves, logs, or stones in secluded corners of your garden to create natural shelters. Hedgehogs, in particular, love to nest in piles of leaves for hibernation.
• Water Source: Keep a shallow dish of water in your garden for all wildlife, but ensure it’s fresh and changed regularly to prevent freezing in the colder months.

Summing Up

Feeding wildlife in your garden during autumn and winter is a wonderful way to support your local ecosystem. With proper care and the right food, you can ensure that birds, squirrels, hedgehogs, and even foxes and badgers thrive throughout the colder months. Be mindful of what you’re feeding, and remember that a balanced diet is as important for wild animals as it is for pets.

For all your wildlife feeding needs, visit Superpet for a variety of products to help you support your garden visitors.