The humble tennis ball can be used for more than just games or playing fetch with the dog, as it can help wildlife like hedgehogs and birds in the colder months
As the temperature continues to drop, there’s many things we will be looking at to help combat the frost and cold and our garden can sometimes get overlooked. For gardeners, garden maintenance is usually focused on the numerous plants and flowers we’ve chosen in summer.
Yet one gardening hack is to use a simple piece of sports equipment to help prevent freezing ponds and support wildlife during the colder months of the year. It might sound silly, but the humble tennis ball can be used for more than just games or playing fetch with the dog.
In fact, it can be used to help wildlife in your garden and can serve as a guide for birds, hedgehogs, and others when exploring the garden in freezing temperatures.
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According to Nunnery Plumbing and Heating, as it states on their website, “The trick isn’t to flood your garden with toys. It’s about thoughtful placement.
“Start with five or six old tennis balls, or any similar dog-safe balls, and walk your garden like a hedgehog or a blackbird would. Slowly. Low to the ground. Watching the surfaces.
“Drop a ball close to bird feeders, where wings beat fast and landings are clumsy. Add one at the edge of any smooth patio or decking step, where ice likes to form and birds misjudge their landings.
“Place a couple near known hedgehog routes: along fences, by compost heaps, close to gaps under sheds.
“Those scattered balls quietly turn flat danger zones into a series of small, forgiving steps.”
Yet it doesn’t mean you need to go out and spend money on a pack of new tennis balls, as the website added, “Old balls are perfect. They’re often softer and cheaper. Clean them if they’re very dirty, and ensure they are not breaking down into crumbs that could be swallowed.”
If you don’t have access to a tennis ball, then there are still alternatives, as the website continued, “Old rubber playground balls, sections of hose over posts, floating logs or sealed bottles in ponds, and brightly colored fabric tied to nets can all help. Tennis balls are just convenient and effective for many small interventions.”
Tennis balls are also useful for those gardeners who have ponds, bird baths or any other small water features. Having a tennis ball sitting on the water can prevent it from freezing over.
According to the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, “To ensure your water sources doesn’t freeze you could keep a tennis ball in them – the wind will move this around and prevent the water from completely freezing.
“Birds still need to bathe to keep their feathers in good condition and coated in natural oils, which helps keep them warm. “
