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Mary Lowther column: Encourage beneficial wildlife, naturally discourage pests

Birdbaths have been working for centuries, so perhaps the time has come to create snakespas
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Not every birdbath needs to be as elaborate as this one. Further examples can be seen at douglaswalkersculpture.ca. (Mary Lowther photo)

By Mary Lowther

As wildlife disappears with the forests there is much we can do to preserve smaller species in our own backyards, even if that “yard” is a pot on a balcony. First of all, we can stop contributing to their demise by not using pesticides, which includes insecticides and herbicides. Second, we can learn how to attract beneficial wildlife by growing crops that encourage them and providing water and habitats where they can nest. Third, we can discourage pests with humane methods that won’t poison the food chain.

Pesticides, even in small amounts, can harm wildlife. Some can alter hormones in frogs and render them sterile. Without frogs to eat slugs and mosquito larvae our gardens will be subject to increased predation. Besides, whatever eats frogs will ingest the pesticide, and we need larger predators like owls to discourage rodents. This problem is growing progressively worse.

According to William Shakespeare, a rose by any other name may smell as sweet; according to the World Health Organization and a jury in San Francisco, Roundup (containing glyphosate) by any other name remains a possible carcinogen. Joni Mitchell sums up with “give me spots on the apples and leave me the birds and the bees, please.”

I am fortunate enough to have a large yard, but even with a small balcony we can attract and encourage wildlife by providing shelter, water and food. If trees grow nearby, birds can visit. Some plants that grow well in pots to attract birds are fuschia, jewelweed, impatiens, nasturtiums, small trees like columnar cedar and mugho pine, and vines like clematis. A water source can be as simple as a pan of water. The sound of running water attracts wildlife so one idea is to poke a small hole into the bottom of a plastic jug, fill it with water and hang it so the water drips out of the hole slowly into a pan underneath.

Regardless of how much room one has for a garden, preserving a space for wildlife will reap benefits for crop growing as these wild sanctuaries attract insects, birds and helpful amphibians to the site. All snakes on Vancouver Island are non-poisonous and because they eat slugs, they are our friends. We’re not allowed to buy native snakes or bring them in from the wild, but we can make a refuge and encourage them to move in on their own. I have a plastic tub that attaches to a dish underneath that fills with water from the tub when it’s turned upside down, a self-watering gizmo like the ones for pets. I tucked it among wild trailing plants and have noticed that the water level goes down as my garter snake population hopefully increases. Birdbaths have been working for centuries, so perhaps the time has come to create snakespas. Speaking of birds, although bird houses can work well to foster nesting in the yard, bushes also provide space for them to build nests.

When I order seeds, I keep in mind plants that will attract beneficial insects and birds and put them on my list. I’ve found that flower seeds are often easy to collect, particularly calendula and lupins, which makes this more affordable. One can also swap plants with a friend to increase diversity. I know a woman in Wolfville, Nova Scotia whose neighbours all traded each other’s plants until their whole block had a variety of the same plants.

Beware, however, the neighbour who offers you buttercup, morning glory or Scotch broom. They are not your friend, and such gifts may be a sign of other unresolved issues.

Please contact mary_lowther@yahoo.ca with questions and suggestions since I need all the help I can get.