Winter care is really about restraint. Amphibians often spend the coldest months dormant in mud at the pond bottom, so the pond is best left undisturbed rather than cleared out or heavily managed during this period. If the surface freezes over, gently melting a small area with warm water is a gentler approach than breaking the ice directly above where they may be sheltering.
For gardeners wanting an alternative to chemical sprays, a soil-applied option is worth considering as a first step, and a good starting point is a range of slug nematodes for gardens suited to the pest in question.
Easy access matters most. A shallow, gently sloping edge lets amphibians move in and out of the water without difficulty, while steep, hard-edged ponds can be surprisingly difficult for https://www.gardenwildlife.com them to use. Nearby damp, shady spots, a log pile or a compost heap close to the pond, give them somewhere to shelter and hibernate once they leave the water for the colder months.
Application is simple but does depend on getting the conditions right. Nematodes are typically mixed with water and applied with a watering can or hose-end feeder directly onto moist soil, since they need moisture to move through it and reach their target. Soil temperature also matters: most products need the soil to be above a minimum threshold, often around 5°C, to remain effective.
Hedgehogs typically hibernate through the coldest months, often in piles of leaves, log stacks, or purpose-built shelters tucked into a quiet corner. Anything resembling a bonfire pile should always be checked carefully before lighting, since it can look like an ideal hibernation spot to a hedgehog settling in for winter.
Access is usually the first barrier. Solid fencing and walled boundaries cut a garden off from the wider network a hedgehog relies on. A gap roughly the size of a CD case cut at the base of a fence panel, sometimes called a hedgehog highway, lets them pass between neighbouring gardens without needing to cross open roads or driveways.