With winter weather clearly making its way to Long Island, now’s the time to remember two things: 1) your pond needs to be prepared for winter, and 2) there are going to be a lot of wildlife critters who try to make your pond and the surrounding area their shelter during the cold months. When it comes to winter weather, wildlife, and your pond, here are some things to keep in mind.
Plants Provide Shelter
Your bushes and other shrubbery surrounding your pond provide good shelter from the elements for the wildlife in your area. If you’re alright having the occasional raccoon or duck family living in your yard, leave the plants as they are. If you’re worried about housing any potentially dangerous wildlife, have the shrubs cut back a bit.
Allow Your Pond to Serve as Drinking Water
While it’s necessary to keep your pond from freezing in order to keep its water quality and oxygen levels safe, if you want to be a friend to your animal neighbors, your pond can be a source of drinking water for them during the winter when other water sources are frozen over.
Give Wildlife a Home
If you know there are a lot of deer, ducks, and birds in your area, why not help them out a bit during the winter and give them some more places to seek shelter. Add some birdhouses to the trees around your yard, allow grass to grow a little higher, and create some rock piles near your pond to provide wildlife with a temporary home.