The technique, surprising but effective, consists of placing balls wherever water is likely to accumulate: existing ponds, ponds or basins, but also natural cavities or areas where puddles regularly form. By moving with the wind, the ball prevents the body of water from completely freezing when temperatures drop. It thus allows birds, insects or small mammals to continue to drink even in extreme cold (when their hydration is complicated).
Furthermore, in ponds and ponds, this technique ensures that the water is always well oxygenated by an exchange with the outside, in order to allow fish and aquatic insects to survive. Although aquatic plants continue to produce oxygen even in winter, a total and lasting ice cover could indeed jeopardize this oxygenation.
This little tip is now being emulated: in England, where temperatures can drop very low during the winter, the very serious “Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals”the equivalent of the SPA, suggested to all gardeners in the country who wish to help wildlife cope with the harshest months of the year.
Other good reflexes to help small animals in the garden
Besides tennis balls, there are a few simple tips you can use to make your garden welcoming to small animals during the winter:
