creature comforts

A garden shed can be a very appealing place for wildlife, says MARTYN ROBINSON

Sheds are places where all sorts of things are stored, sometimes for a very long time. Little wonder that many creatures decide to call them home – they provide protection from the weather and there’s often food to be found inside or nearby. Some shed guests are harmless, but there are some you might not want to encourage! Visitors can range from insects and spiders to rodents and other small mammals, as well as snakes and lizards.

While daddy-long-legs aren’t a worry, red-backed spiders might be, and they love making webs in plant pots, as do their stripe-less cousins, flowerpot spiders. Rodents will be looking for seeds you may have left out, or warm shelter, and insect-eating bats sometimes live in the rafters, as it’s dark up there. Snakes will be after rats and mice, and lizards are there for the insects.

So what can you do? To deter spiders, stack the pots and place them upside down on the shelf or floor. This makes them far less appealing. Make sure the area under the bench is clear of stored items, and sweep away any cobwebs that don’t have daddy-long-legs in them. It’s good to leave the daddies if you’re not afraid of them, as they catch and eat red-backs and other spiders.

Store seeds and anything rodents might eat in sealed containers. Find where they are getting in, and block off these entry points. I’d be inclined to leave the bats, as they feed on flying insects. If you don’t want them in your shed, wait until they fly out at night then close off the entry. Be careful not to harm bats, as they are a protected species and need all the help they can get.

Taking care of these things should also remove any attractions and prevent entry for snakes and lizards, so you can reclaim your shed for yourself… unless you are happy to share it with some friendly garden guests?

Martyn gardens mainly on Sydney’s Northern Beaches