NEW homeowners in Bordon are being encouraged to give wildlife a home with the launch of a partnership between Barratt Homes, which is building 500 homes at Louisburg Barracks, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Barratt Homes, based in Leicestershire, has teamed up with the conservation charity to give customers five tips this autumn on how to keep their gardens wildlife friendly.

The tips follow a dispute, in the summer, between town wildlife enthusiast and Whitehill and Bordon Gardening Club chairman Stephen Miles and Barratt Homes over alleged disturbance to house-martin and swift nests during work at the barracks. The RSPB became involved and Barratt Homes defended its work on the site, saying it took its commitment to wildlife seriously.

The tips on what to do as the seasons change have been selected to fit around a small budget and take less than two hours.

Top of the list is to feed the birds by investing in “a bird cafe”, a bird feeder or a roofed bird table, and getting a mixture of seeds, fruits, nuts and oats to put in them. Different types of birds prefer different types of food.

Michelle Storer, sales director at Barratt, said: “We’ve chosen the bird cafe as our absolute top tip because I think it’s a great way for new homeowners to add a bit of wildlife and colour to their gardens without having to spend hours on it.

“This is the perfect activity to take part in if you’re looking for something easy to do that you can enjoy all year round.

“Birds are fascinating creatures and we, as a country, should treasure them and be able to appreciate their mesmerising behaviours up close.”

A second tip is to make “a butterfly banquet” to attract autumn butterflies like red admirals and painted ladies. Butterflies need sugary treats in the autumn and homeowners can put mushy bananas in a sheltered chest-high place in gardens. As the banana ferments, the butterflies should visit, staying in gardens for hours.

As the cold weather sets in, a third tip is to build “a wildlife hotel” for bugs. This can be made from wood and soil. The idea is to provide as many different holes, spaces, tunnels and cosy beds for wildlife to climb into to keep them safe.

Fourthly, bees can be given a banquet by sowing “a poppy patch” in autumn or early spring.

Lastly, creating “a hedgehog highway” provides a safe corridor through fences for hedgehogs to move through.

Hedgehogs walk up to a mile a night, and at this time of year are looking for the perfect spot to hibernate.

Ms Storer added: “Our partnership with the RSPB is important to help demonstrate how we can protect and enhance the biodiversity of the local area, benefitting our customers and the wildlife around our developments.

“We’ve handpicked these fantastic tips from the RSPB as the easiest and least time-consuming ways that customers moving into their new homes can do their bit for nature in autumn.

“When moving home everyone is busy and we understand that no one has a lot of time to spend in the garden but it is important to remember that the wildlife around us also need homes and these top tips are really fun and easy ways for everyone to get involved with that.

“Here at Barratt, we want to work closely with our customers to ensure our British wildlife is preserved at our developments.”