Learn about garden creatures
Have you ever wondered about the fascinating creatures that live in your garden? Our gardens are home to thousands of different species of insect.
Let’s take a closer look at just a few that you might find in your garden this summer
Butterflies
Fluttering gracefully from flower to flower, butterflies are a very important pollinator
- Most butterflies don’t have very long lifespans. The Priam’s birdwing butterfly only lives for 10 days
- Butterflies use their proboscis (a long, straw-like tube) to drink nectar from flowers
- They have four wings, not two
- Did you know that butterflies taste with their feet?
- Butterflies can see ultraviolet light, which helps them find nectar in flowers
Ladybirds
These charming little beetles are more than just pretty spots
- We think of ladybirds as being red, but they can also be yellow, orange, and even black
- Ladybirds eat aphids, which are small insects that ruin crops and plants
- One ladybug can eat up to 5,000 insects in its lifetime
- Ladybirds release a yellow fluid from their legs when threatened
- They hibernate in large groups during the winter
Snails
Slow and steady, snails glide across our garden path and leave a shiny trail behind them
- A snail’s mucus helps them to move and also glues them onto surfaces, like the underside of leaves
- Snails come out when it rains because their bodies need moisture, otherwise they will dry out
- There are snails that live in rivers and lakes and have gills
- Garden snails are herbivores and feed on a variety of plants, fruits, and vegetables
- A snail’s shell is attached to their body and they can’t live without it
Earthworms
Beneath the surface, worms work hard to improve the soil and create healthy garden ecosystems
- An earthworm has no arms, legs, ears, or eyes
- While they don’t have ears, they can still ‘hear’ through vibrations
- In one acre of land, there can be more than one million earthworms
- They’re a tasty snack for lots of animals including hedgehogs, foxes, and birds
- Earthworms can live for up to 8 years, if they’re not eaten by other animals