5 ways to attract wildlife to your yard in fall – they're all easy (and even free) to do

In the midst of preparing your yard for the coldest seasons, don't neglect the garden wildlife that is still seeking food, shelter, and safety in your outdoor space. In fact, fall and winter are arguably the most important seasons to support wildlife, where resources are otherwise scarce.

As well as adding essential planting and pruning on your fall gardening checklist, consider the wildlife garden ideas that need to be put into action at this time of year. From providing energizing foods to creating shelter from adverse weather, there's lots that can be done in the coming weeks for wildlife.

Not only will you feel good to know you're helping garden wildlife during a challenging season, you'll also take delight in the sight of life in your yard where planting is otherwise slowing down for the year. Here are five easy things you can do to attract wildlife to your yard in fall.

5 ways to attract wildlife to your yard in fall

Attracting wildlife to your yard in fall isn't just about knowing how to feed birds in winter, it's also providing resources for pollinators and other creatures you wish to welcome to your yard this season, including small mammals and other insects. Here are five simple ideas to get you started:

1. Leave seedheads for birds

When it comes to feeding birds, one of the best things you can do when the fall months come around is leave plants for seedheads.

Rather than deadheading and removing spent blooms, allow your late-summer flowers to go to seed. The seedheads and seed pods will not only provide architectural plant interest for your fall and winter garden, but it can also be a valuable food resource for birds.

Just like seed and grain mixes for birds (like this pack from Amazon),the seedheads in your yard are full of nutritious seeds for birds to consume.

2. Create a log pile

Another way to attract wildlife to your yard in fall is by providing shelter. During the colder months in particular, insects and small mammals seeks somewhere safe and warm to retreat to.

It works much the same as bug hotels (from Amazon), where log piles create small pockets for wildlife to escape to.

It's as simple as collecting logs, sticks, branches, and other woody plant matter. You can then pile them up in a quiet corner for wildlife to find shelter in.

Try adding things like plants for pollinators alongside your log pile, as well as water sources (like this bird bath from Amazon) to make this area of your yard even more attractive to wildlife.

3. Provide energy-rich food

As the temperatures start to drop, animals will need more energy to stay warm and get through the gruelling gloomier days. That's why choosing particularly energy-rich foods is a great way to attract wildlife.

The best way to do this is by making a bird buffet full of human foods. For example, you can feed birds potato and put pasta in a bird feeders, both of which are rich in carbohydrates, providing nutrition and energy for birds in the colder months.

Using a tray bird feeder (from Amazon) is the best option for this kind of set-up, allowing you to place a wide range of foods for birds. Place a water source nearby, too, so they have somewhere to drink and bathe.

Just remember that human treats should only be occasional for birds. Their diets require more balance, which bird mixes (like this bird feed from Amazon), provide.

4. Paint your fence for pollinators

It's true that you can choose fence colors for pollinators; those hues that particularly attract them – and this doesn't just stop working after summer.

Consider giving your fence a fresh look by painting your fence a bright color, such as yellow, orange, or purple. At the same time, lighter neutral colors, like white and cream, can also attract pollinators by making planting stand out – like in the image above.

Fall pollinators that will be drawn in by this include different types of bees, butterflies, and hoverflies. Pair your new fence color with plants for fall pollinators and watch your fall garden turn into a haven for insects.

Just make sure to use specific outdoor fence paint to ensure it stays in good condition. See the range of fence paint at Walmart.

5. Grow a wild grass patch

This is an easy way to attract wildlife to your yard in fall: letting some of your grass grow wild. Long grass provides shelter for a range of small mammals, and fall wildflowers that crop up will support pollinators.

You can do this in a couple of ways. Either choose to miss the last mow in fall for an area of your lawn, allowing it to stay long, or landscape with some ornamental grasses.

Ornamental grasses for fall include switch grass (from Nature Hills) and zebra grass (from Nature Hills).

To make your fall wild patch even more attractive to wildlife, consider inserting these pollinator watering stations (from Amazon).

FAQs

How do you help wildlife in freezing weather?

To help garden wildlife in freezing weather, continue providing nutritious food sources, water, and shelter. It's most important to regularly check water sources to ensure they haven't frozen over. You can use methods to stop a bird bath freezing in winter, for example. Our guide to feeding wildlife in winter may also be useful.

These are just a handful ideas to attract wildlife to your yard in fall. You can also reduce outdoor lighting to not scare wildlife away. Likewise, there are lots of perennials not to cut back in fall to help wildlife at this time of year.