Watershed Texas

To attract wildlife to your landscape, you need to provide them with food, water, shelter, and places to raise their young. Feeders, birdbaths, and native plants can help you meet these needs and create a haven for wildlife in your backyard.

Birds and Squirrels

The easiest way to attract birds to your yard is to put up a bird feeder. Common types are house feeders, tube feeders, and tray or platform feeders.

Set up the feeder in a quiet place where it is easy to see and refill. An ideal spot is near a tree, which will provide natural cover and branches for resting. A birdhouse can provide additional shelter.

Birdbaths also attract wildlife. They provide a dependable supply of fresh, clean water for drinking and bathing. Change the water once a week to deter mosquitoes.

Squirrels will also be attracted to both the water in the birdbath and the seeds in the feeders.

Hummingbirds

To lure hummingbirds, place a nectar feeder where it is protected from the wind.

Catch the attention of passing hummingbirds by tying foot-long strands of bright red or orange plastic ribbon to the trees near the feeders. The bright colors will lure hummingbirds to get a closer look.

Butterflies

Butterflies are not only beautiful, but they also pollinate your flowers.

To attract butterflies, you must provide the right plants for all life stages of the butterfly, including a place to lay eggs, food for the caterpillar, a place where the chrysalides can form, and food for the adult butterfly. For example, milkweed can sustain the entire life cycle of monarch butterflies.

Pesticides

Pesticides kill the good insects as well as the harmful ones. They also can kill off food sources for other wildlife. Native plants help take care of any potential insect problem because they provide habitats for the beneficial organisms that discourage pests.

Go to WaterSmart.tamu.edu for more information.