North American Nature – Q&A about North American nature

When I went into a shed I don't use regularly last week I was surprised at just how many insects, birds, and animals I could see in there. It got me wondering what else was living in there that I couldn't see. Sheds can be home to butterflies, bees, wasps, woodlouse, birds, spiders, and small rodents such as bats or mice. If you want to find out what might be living in your shed then please read on. Although many people think of wildlife in their sheds as pests (which they can be), there are many wonderful types of animals that you may see in, around, or under your shed. How much wildlife you find in your shed will depend on how old it is and what material it is made from. Wood is probably the best material for wildlife but the type of wood preservative used can also have an impact on what wildlife you may find. Many wood preservatives are poisonous to invertebrates and although they will protect your shed from beetles, they are lethal to other insects such as butterflies. Some sheds may be made of concrete and although not as appealing to wildlife they can still make a good home for the right animal. Butterflies Although you may not think the colder, winter months would allow you to see butterflies, sheds are a great place to spot them. Butterflies that are hibernating through winter will often open and close their wings and you may be able to hear them rustle as they do. Butterflies that sleep throughout winter find sheds ideal as their folded wings are camouflaged until the warmer months when they start to fly around. During spring, butterflies may be seen on the inside of sheds trying to get out through the windows. Mice Mice can often be found in sheds in winter once the temperatures start dropping. A tell-tale sign of mice in your shed is that you will start to notice small nibble marks in papers and cardboard. They use these materials to help build their nest. If there is food in the shed then you may find small tooth marks where the mice have been gnawing away. Although many people do not like mice they are of no real concern. Care should be taken not to handle mice or their faeces but they don't cause a lot of damage and don't particularly smell. Bats Bats can sometimes be found in sheds as the male pipistrelle likes to live alone. Bats can fit through small gaps in sheds to get in where they like to sleep throughout the day. Bats will conserve their energy and enter a state of torpor. Although they may appear dead and are cold they may just be in torpor. Bats are relatively harmless although they should not be handled. Spiders One of the first things I know I am going to see in a shed is a collection of spiderwebs. Not because I don't clean it but lots of spiders can live in a shed. Spiders are normally nocturnal so you may not see them during the day unless you disturb them whilst moving boxes, tools, or containers. Visiting your shed at night is a completely different experience and you may be surprised at how many spiders you can see in your shed. With over 20 species of spiders supported in most gardens you are sure to see many spiders in your shed. You may also spot the molted skins of spiders in your shed. These look like spider skeletons although you may only be able to spot the legs as the body will have dissolved. Want to know what lives in tree holes? Find out here. Birds Birds can get into sheds through open doors or broken windows. If you leave the door open sometimes in spring you may soon find a nest of birds in your shed. Small birds may also be able to get through the knots that have fallen out of the wooden panels. These also allow birds to get through the external panels and in between these and the internal wood and some birds love nesting in this area. If you do find birds have got in through an open door and they are nesting in your shed then try to leave the door open as much as you can. Just propping the door open will allow them to get in and out without being injured. What size the shed is can affect which species your shed may attract. Robins often make their nests in sheds, and you may find that they use different materials from inside your shed to make their nests. Swallows can also be found in larger sheds where they construct their nests from mud. Bees and Wasps The small knot holes that allows some birds to nest in your shed also let bees and wasps in. Sheds are an excellent place for wasps to build their net. Wasp nests are sheds are both made from wood. Wasps will make the wood into a pulp by chewing it and using their saliva. The pulp is spread by the wasps jaws to make the nest larger. Apart from the queens who survive, wasps die during the winter. The queens will stay in the nest until the next year. Not all bees live in hives or large nests. Solitary bees often make their own, small nests. These nests can stay undetected for some time. The female makes sure that she has enough nectar and pollen to feed her young. The larvae is fed the nectar once they emerge from their eggs. The larvae is born just prior to the female dying. The larvae may stay in their nest for up to a year before emerging as adult bees. These solitary bees are essential as pollinators for many garden plants. Woodworm Woodworm can be detrimental to your shed if it is made of wood. Woodworm are the larva of the furniture beetle and can cause huge amounts of damage Woodworm bore through wood, leaving tunnels throughout, weakening the wood. You may notice small holes on the surface of the wood where the beetles have emerged. Unfortunately with woodworm, you often dont know until it is too late that you have it as the holes do not appear until the beetles come out as adults. If your shed is damp then this is inviting to woodworm. As the damp weakens the shed, it allows the larvae to burrow in before emerging as adult beetles. Woodlouse Damp can cause lots of damage to sheds, and woodlouse are a sure sign that their is damp in your shed. Woodlouse can be found in damp areas, feeding on debris and rotten wood. Woodlouse are crustaceans and do not have a waterproof skin. Although harmless, woodlice do provide a food source for other animals that feed on them, including toads. To stop woodlice in your shed, make sure that is as damp-proof as possible, and if possible, raised off the ground. Want to know what wildlife lives in puddles. Find out in this article I wrote.

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