Households urged to put old socks in their garden in autumn

Households urged to put old socks in their garden in autumn Gardening experts have claimed how repurposing old socks could help attract a common type of wildlife. If your laundry basket has a mysterious pile of single socks, it's worth knowing that they're surprisingly useful in the garden if you're keen on attracting birds. While you might come across a wonderful array of birds during a pleasant walk outdoors, many of these feathered creatures can actually be enjoyed right from your own back garden. There's something truly magical about having a garden that's packed with birds. These charming animals bring vivid colours, cheerful sounds, and a wonderful energy to our outdoor spaces, and they're also incredibly useful at keeping common garden pests such as caterpillars and aphids under control. Certain bird species will even tuck into slugs and snails. Your garden can also serve as a vital refuge for birds, providing them with food, safe spots to rest, and perfect locations for nesting. This means that turning your garden into a bird-friendly haven creates a brilliant situation where everybody wins. Gardening experts at Gardening Know How have recommended a clever trick to draw birds in, and it involves putting your old socks to good use. There are countless household items you can repurpose for birds, from teacups as feeders to juice cartons for nests; but old odd socks have their own part to play. The experts suggest copying commercial finch feeders, which are usually made from breathable mesh and packed with tiny seeds such as nyjer. The concept is that small birds can grip onto it and peck through the material. To create your own version, simply fill a clean sock with bird seed, tie a knot at the top, and hang it from a tree branch or hook. The soft fabric gives small birds something to hold onto while they feed. Just like with any bird feeder, make sure you inspect it regularly and replace the sock whenever it becomes wet, develops mould, or gets particularly dirty. It's advised to keep feeders clean to help prevent diseases from spreading among your feathered visitors. Position feeders somewhere birds can access easily but where they have some shelter from the weather and predators. A spot with nearby bushes or a hedge can offer useful cover. However, avoid placing feeders too close to dense vegetation such as hedges where cats can lurk and pounce on feeding birds. What foods should you put in your sock bird feeders? Sunflower hearts If you only want to purchase one type of bird food, sunflower hearts are "a good place to start", according to the experts at Otter Garden Centres. They are the kernels inside sunflower seeds, so birds don't have to waste time removing the husk. They're especially popular with finches, including goldfinches and greenfinches, as well as blue tits, great tits, house sparrows, robins and other small garden birds. They're also tidier than whole sunflower seeds because there are no piles of discarded husks left beneath the feeder. Suet balls Foods high in fat can be especially helpful when birds like robins and goldfinches require additional energy, particularly during chilly weather in autumn. Suet balls, pellets and other fat-based foods are favoured by a broad variety of other garden birds, including sparrows, starlings, woodpeckers and nuthatches.