Garden wildlife: Moths prosper but hedgehogs and toads suffer

Some types of garden wildlife have fared well this year but others are becoming a rarer sight around our garden sheds, a survey by the Daily Telegraph suggests.

In a poll of more than 2,000 readers, the newspaper found that the population of butterflies, bees and moths have boomed in 2009, but frogs, toads and hedgehogs are seen less frequently by gardeners.

However in total, almost a quarter of gardeners (24 per cent) said they had noticed an increase in wildlife overall this year.

Frogs and toads often make homes under garden sheds, and it is possible that gardeners are discouraging them from doing so.

However, if gardeners want to give creatures an alternative to underneath sheds, leaving piles of logs in secluded places or letting wild areas develop in their gardens can help encourage wildlife.

Earlier this week, trades people directory site ratedpeople.com advised gardeners to ensure their lawns are ready for spring by not ignoring their grass over the winter months.

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  Written by Robin Antill+ Started making garden sheds in 1979. so 31 years experience. Online since 1996. 1st in UK.