Whether your home is rural, suburban, or urban, everywhere in the US has its own unique cast of critter characters that live amongst us. When we think of wildlife, we often think of the bigger creatures, like deer, or of the creatures that are the biggest pain for us, like skunks and raccoons. But there are so many other creatures, from bees to butterflies, and from bunnies to beetles, that can make our backyards their homes (or at least a place they regularly stop to sample the buffet). Making our trees and yards hospitable to the animal visitors we’d like to see (and less hospitable to the ones we don’t want to see) can be an important part in fostering a healthy eco-system, wherever we are.
Plant Local
Local trees and plants are the most likely to appeal to local creatures. If you imagine the area where you live, but think of it back before humans were building houses and sitting in traffic, the animals that wandered into your area that decided to stay would be those that had shelter, plenty to eat, and proper climactic conditions for their survival. Thus, local plant and tree varieties are the most likely to appeal to your local wildlife, so choosing local trees for your yard is an important consideration when trying to create a warm and welcoming vibe for the wildlife in your area.
Remove Dead Trees and Stumps
Although some worms and insects can definitely make a nice home in a dead tree or a stump left over after a tree’s removal, it’s far more likely that these dead trees will serve as a host to detrimental fungi or bacteria that could spread to healthy, living trees. If you have a dead tree, have it removed, and if there’s a stump leftover after the removal, consider stump grinding for complete removal.
Check Regularly for Pests
A regular inspection of your plants and trees is essential to making sure that any unwanted pests or creatures are removed before they can cause too much damage. It’s important to remove invasive pests and even invasive plant species before they can push out the local species that you’re trying to make room for in your yard. Take a look at your trees, and look for “visitors” you don’t recognize or symptoms of ill health. Address these invasions right away to keep the habitat happy and healthy for your desired visitors.
Don’t Trim Your Lawn Too Short
Leaving your lawn a little longer, or creating a “wild” area that you don’t mow or trim at all, can be an easy and important step in making your trees and garden feel more inviting for pollinators and creature visitors. Pollinators like bees and butterflies will happily visit longer lawns that let clovers, dandelions and daisies grow, and that allows these vitally important critters to live relatively long and happy lives. And, since much of our food supply is dependant on pollinators, making things good for them makes things good for all of us.
Minimize Chemicals and Pesticides
Whenever possible, take care of your trees and your plants with natural, chemical-free options. Preventing problems, through attention and regular maintenance, often means that harsh chemical treatments are entirely unnecessary. Natural compost makes a great mulching material and adds to the nutrients your trees receive without harming any local fauna that venture into your yard.
Plant Food
Any backyard gardeners knows all too well that whatever we plant for ourselves, the neighborhood creatures will gladly make a feast of (usually just before it’s ripe enough to harvest, too)! One thing that can help with this is to intentionally plant trees or shrubs that make food for birds and small animals, like fruit and nuts, but which humans don’t often eat. This gives local wildlife a reason to visit your yard, but helps to cut down on the damage they’ll do to the carrots and tomatoes you’ve been growing for your salad.
If you aren’t sure how to set up the healthiest environment for your trees and your backyard visitors, give your local tree service (like us here at Tree Images, if you’re in the Cincinnati area) and we can give you expert advice on how to care for your trees, naturally and safely, to the benefit of all.
