supporting nature

Bug hotels and wildflower areas

We’re making a number of wildlife enhancements at our developments to provide a home for nature within our communities. We want to help keep our local wildlife safe, and we’re encouraging our customers to get involved too.

Building a home for nature

Many of our native insect species are in decline in the UK but we need insects to pollinate our crops, recycle organic matter such as dung and leaves, keep the soil healthy, control pests and much more. Larger animals such as birds, fish and frogs rely on insects for food and wildflowers rely on them for pollination too, so it’s important we do our bit to help them out.

Bug hotels

Bug hotels provide a safe and cosy shelter for insects which can help your garden. They attract pollinators such as bees, who help to make sure that we have flowering plants and vegetables, as well as carnivores that eat pests like caterpillars which might otherwise destroy your plants.

Bug hotels are important in the winter when many of these insects need a warm home to hibernate in until spring. In the summer they may nest and reproduce in these shelters too.

Areas with readily available food sources, such as near flowers, hedgerows and trees are an ideal location for a bug hotel. Salvia, sedum and artemisia are favourites of the residents.

Guests at a bug hotel like a spot where they are protected from rain and that faces all-day sun, but is sheltered from the wind too.

Wildflowers

Wildflower meadows and grasslands can provide a beautiful focal point and an attractive display when in flower during spring and summer. They can be large or small, from entire fields to mini- meadows in gardens. They also benefit many species, including mammals, amphibians, birds, reptiles and invertebrates.

Wildflower plants typically require specific soil characteristics and often soils with low nutrient levels. Different seed mixes are suited to different types of soil. For example, waterlogged areas need a wet grassland type mix and chalky areas need a calcareous grassland mix - so remember to choose your plants carefully to get the best results.

Other enhancements we’re making

We’re looking out for our native small mammals and birds too.

We’re increasing the number of bat and bird boxes across our developments, providing shelter and warmth for our flying friends. We’re also integrating hedgehog highways throughout our sites, in partnership with Hedgehog Street, to help make our developments more hedgehog friendly.

Photo credit: Chris Groves - Hedgehog Street

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