At the end of last week we added another ‘feature’ to the Forage Yard! A Stag Beetle Hotel!! Co-incidentally there was an article in the Waitrose Weekend newspaper all about The Stag ‘Do’! The People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) had decided to set up the Great Stag Hunt Survey to take place between 5th-7th June.
Stag beetles are so named because of their antler-like jaws. They only emerge for a few weeks during the summer to find a mate, spending the rest of the year below ground. Their favourite spot to live is beneath hedgerows or on the edge of woodland, where they consume vast amounts of rotting wood and so doing return vital nutrients to the soil.
I decided not to lift the old logs that I’d placed directly onto the soil as I didn’t want to disturb any beetles who may be taking time to take up residence. Also the ground is so dry at the moment that I want to conserve as much moisture below the logs as possible.
For more info: ptes.org/stagbeetles
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