By Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteer Lynn Bartosh
Have you ever wondered how overwintering birds stay warm in the winter? Where do bees and other insects seek shelter during the windy cold months here in Transylvania County? Where does the wildlife go? They are right here in our national and state forests, in our woods, and in our gardens. The great news is that we can do something to make their little lives a whole lot better on the homefront! Here’s how you can help.
Some birds will use the same roost box for shelter in the winter that they used in the spring to raise their young. My research led me to an article by Cynthia Berger with the National Wildlife Federation (“Rooms to Let, Cheep, Cheep”). Bluebirds like to sleep in a heap on the bottom of the box for warmth in the winter. For this reason, the entry hole (which does not need a perch) should be placed higher, nearer the center of the box, to protect the birds from drafts and from the reach of predators. Birds also like to be higher up, 10 feet or more. Metal poles are best as you can purchase telescoping poles to achieve these heights and lower them for cleaning access. Metal is also better protection from predators that can easily climb wood…like cats, raccoons, weasels and rats.
Brush piles make excellent shelter for birds as well. We have several piles in quiet undisturbed areas throughout our 5 acres and have witnessed the birds using them. Our brush piles are made up of smaller sticks and branches and leaves. We don’t worry about making access areas for them; they seem to find them on their own.
We left several “snags” on our 5-acre property. If you’ve had a tree snap off about 20 feet up or so, or if you need to remove a dead tree…consider leaving it, or a portion of it. We have had both occurrences and recently chose to have a dead tree removed at 20 feet so that it will also provide habitat. These “snags” provide excellent shelter for birds like owls and woodpeckers, as well as a variety of other wildlife species.
You may have heard this before, but it’s oh so true…leave the leaves! So many little insects like lightning bug larvae (also known as glowworms), and moths rely on sheltering in leaf litter. We all love to witness the lightning bug glow in the summer. And the moths will go on to produce caterpillars, and those caterpillars are what birds feed their young in the spring, by the thousands! One chickadee will feed 6,000 - 9,000 caterpillars to her babies as they grow up. You’ll also find lizards, birds, turtles, and frogs sheltering in that leaf litter. These beneficial creatures are depending on us, and in return they keep pests down and increase pollination in our gardens. Another benefit to leaving the leaves is that they suppress weeds and fertilize the soil as they break down… think of them as a natural mulch full of micro-organisms that are the life of the soil.
Bees and other insects love to burrow down into hollow stems for the winter. When we cut our plants back, we leave 10-12 inches of stem. In the meadow I leave the seed heads and stems intact, and they continue to provide nourishment and shelter all winter long. A good example of this practice can be found here in the Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteer of Transylvania County Native Plant Demonstration Gardens located at the Ranger Station in Pisgah National Forest, Silvermont, Library Rain Garden, and Allison Deaver House.
For more information on providing winter habitat see the following resources that I also refer to in this article. Enjoy your winter birds, insects, and wildlife! They’ll reward you come spring.
● Doug Tallamay’s books, “Bringing Nature Home” and “Nature's Best Hope”
● Audubon Community
● National Wildlife Federation
For more information, call the Extension Office at 828-884-3109, or visit in person at 106 E. Morgan St. in Brevard.
