Habitat Pile

[Cassie]

Hi is there any particular advice for creating habitat piles in my woods or is it just a matter of interweaving branches etc

Thank you

[coppiceer]

I interweave branches and sticks at the base of the piles (to allow for aeration and provide a structure) and then pile on lots of grass cuttings. This makes a habitat for reptiles. I try and keep them in the same place over a number of years and away from trees or hedges where I may be working at some time.

I also have one or two piles of horse manure around to increase the insect population.

[Exeldama]

Im sure that it might work even better if you do all the interweaing sruff... but to be honest, i just pile up all my old brash and they seem to work pretty good.

[Bulworthy Project]

I agree with Exeldama on this, I'm sure that all that interweaving would be great, but we just pile up all the brash that we create during woodland management. We try to leave some in sunny places and some in the shade. Obviously you don't want it to be in the way, so it is worth thinking about where you are puttting it and ocasionally we'll neaten off the edges of a pile with the chainsaw.

[Cassie]

Thanks for the advice everyone

[Henrietta]

As our wood has quite a lot of boundary to a lane, we have build some dead hedging, consisting of stakes driven alternatively in the ground and filled up with brashing, bracken and garden waste. We try to conceal the beehives as much as possible as the theft of them is quite common in this area. It is a forever sort of job as it composts down, but i'm sure it makes a good home for wildlife.

It's coming up to the time where we have to cover the hives in chicken wire. Last year, a woodpecker made two big holes in one hive to get at the comb. We thought the bees would die as it was in a cold snap, but they made it ok. A tarpaulin was tied over the hive for the rest of the winter, and although the woodpecker shredded it a bit, it didn't get through. Probably didn't like the taste of plastic.