January is still very much the middle of winter, and this month sees the least activity for butterflies and moths. There’s almost nothing flying, and it’s too cold for caterpillars to feed.
We can take a leaf from their book and just sit the month out and have a rest. I’m always conscious that anything I do in the winter in my Wild Space could disturb the larvae or cocoons when they are most vulnerable and can’t crawl away if I dig into the soil where they are buried or cut into the plants where they are hiding.
But there are a few tasks we can do right now to help insects later in the year, while taking care to not disturb their winter rest.
If the ground isn’t frozen, you should still be able to plant bare root trees and shrubs. We’ve shared our top trees and shrubs for butterflies here Plant a butterfly-friendly tree or shrub – Wild Spaces and almost all are suitable for planting as bare roots. It’s always less expensive to buy them this way too, with bare root trees usually costing a fraction of trees grown in pots, so you can get even more for your Wild Space!
A great way to get free willow trees is to simply cut a length of young branch from a willow tree – aim for the branches which are still thin and bendy, without thick bark. If you cut a section about 30cm long, you can just push it into the soil so that about a third of the length remains above the surface. You can then water it and leave it for a while – the branch should send out new roots when the soil warms up, and you’ll have a new willow plant, for free!
Willows are one of best plants for moth caterpillars. If you’re lucky you might get the wonderful Puss Moths or Poplar Hawk-moths living in your Wild Space, as their larvae eat various species of willow. The caterpillars of at least 150 other moth species also eat willow, so you’re almost certain to have something munching the leaves eventually!
Now Christmas is over, are you unsure what to do with your tree? Discover our top tips for using your old Christmas tree in your Wild Space here https://wild-spaces.co.uk/how-to-use-your-christmas-tree-to-help-wildlife/
