Wood pile for wildlife

[Matt84]

I'm interested in attracting wildlife and have been told to make a wood pile, I don't actually have room for a large pile but would basically place logs all around the garden. My only worry is that I may attract too many slugs(I remember reading somewhere that you should try to eliminate places where slugs should hide) Will this be a problem or should the extra beetles,centipedes etc balance things out, I do also have a small pond with a few frogs and a regular hedgehog(Although they dont eat many slugs/snails do they).

Any thoughts appreciated, just to note I don't have a huge problem with slugs or snails at present, I would say about average I guess.

[ginger ninger]

Give it a go, you'll attract Beatles that love to eat slugs and woodlice, if you drill holes in your logs you might get ladybirds to over winter with you, if you do get some slugs you can hand pick them off and dispatch them before they can do damage, less to worry about next season. I'm building one of these:-

[Reb Williams]

One of the things to be aware of is making sure your logs have lots of bark - some insects live entirely in the bark. Don't worry about not having room for a pile, but do roll some of the logs close together rather than scattering them.

PS ginger ninger, love the idea of Beatles eating slugs.. Ringo drumming with a few woodlice on the side...


Reb
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Read about growing up in the Good Life - Grow Your Own Cows

[Lovage]

If you drill holes in the wood you won't just get ladybirds, you may also get solitary bees laying their eggs.
\you need holes around 8mm to attract both kinds of bees that use holes in wod

[Snadger]

I have a purpose built woodpile and a pond at my allotment for to attract frogs toads and all manner of small creatures.

The trouble is I get a bit of grief off some plotholders saying I will attract rats. I certainly haven't seen any rats in my woodpile but I suppose I can see what they mean.
The woodpile stays until I spot a rat!

Since building the pond I have found loads of small frogs on the plot (after importing some frogspawn to start it off!) and have had very little slug damage, even though we've had a wet summer!