11 Winter Wildlife Animals That Help Your Yard Thrive

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While your yard may appear to go quiet during winter, it’s actually packed with activity below the surface. You may see some animals, but others are more subtle in what they contribute. Not only are these creatures passing through, they’re doing you a favor by keeping your yard healthy. These animals help behind the scenes so you have a better yard come spring to enriching your soil.

Understanding more about these winter yard heroes can help you to appreciate the balance of nature. Let’s shine a light on some of the most helpful winter animals who are probably working right outside your window.

Owls

As silent hunters of the night, owls play an important roll in your yard’s ecosystem. They prey on rodents like mice and voles, so they help decrease damage your plants and trees sustain. Barn owls are nocturnal predators with a remarkable hunting ability: one barn owl family can catch more than 1,000 mice a season. This is natural pest control and it saves you from chemical use.

Earthworms

Earthworms are still active under the frost line, even though they’re not visible during winter. By aerating the soil, they improve its drainage and make nutrients distribute evenly. They also turn organic material and make nutrient rich castings which are nature’s fertilizer. In the spring, your soil will appreciate these little workers for their backroom work.

Foxes

Nature’s pest managers are foxes. Small mammals like rabbits and voles which can be devastating to your garden or lawn are what they feed on. Although you may see them walking through the snow, foxes are notoriously elusive and will not attack humans. Sort of like the stealthy groundskeeper of your yard, keeping everything in check.

Chickadees

These little cheerful birds are a joy to watch, and they’re doing you a solid by eating overwintering insect eggs and larvae. Chickadees help keep the insect population in check, preventing a pest infestation down the road.

Spiders

While spiders might make some people squirm, their work is hard to deny. Many spider species are active even in winter, hiding in sheltered spots waiting for and eating insects. They help protect your plants and trees from future damage by keeping the bug population under control. They’re one of nature’s best pest controllers.

Deer

Deer may be a nuisance in the garden, but they do have their benefits. Their droppings fertilize the soil. Moreover, their grazing helps control growth of some fast growing plants, which in return results into better biodiversity in your yard. When you see a deer, consider it nature’s way of evening things out.

Raccoons

Even though raccoons are sometimes viewed as mischievous, they actually clean up your yard. They eat whatever is leftover in the fruit, nuts and even small pests. They may on occasion get into trash cans, but their foraging is beneficial as it helps to clean up trash and keep your yard tidy. Make sure your bins are secure though, so you don’t wake up to midnight messes.

Bats

While bats may appear like summer creatures, some bat species in your yard’s trees or outbuildings hibernate during winter. They will feast on insects like mosquitos and beetles when they come out, keeping your yard comfortable and pest free. Creating safe habitat for bats can encourage healthier outdoor spaces year round.

Beetles

Some beetles spend the winter in leaf litter or garden debris, and while they may seem like pests, most are not. For instance, lady beetles feed on aphids and other bad insects. Leaving some leaf cover in place during winter also means a habitat for these good bugs to survive and thrive.

Woodpeckers

Although woodpeckers might wake you up with their tapping, it is a sound that means they are hard at work. These birds eat tree borer insects, and they keep your trees from being infested. Their activity also promotes healthier tree growth by removing weak, or infested, branches.

Shrews

Small and hence easily unnoticed, shrews are voracious carnivorous eaters of insects, slugs, and even small rodents. They are good allies because of their appetite, which keeps your yard’s ecosystem in balance. They’re the unsung heroes fighting pests before they have the chance to become a problem.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.