Overview
- Late June guidance from BUND Hessen and Nabu Hessen urges people in Hesse to set out water because drying streams and puddles are raising animals’ need for drinking sites.
- Use multiple shallow bowls with stones, sticks or moss so insects can land safely and avoid drowning, place bowls on the ground for hedgehogs and other small mammals, and put bird baths higher to reduce cat predation.
- Change and clean water every day and avoid leaving containers in full sun to limit microbial growth and disease risk.
- Offer extra food for butterflies by placing overripe fruit such as oranges or bananas on a flat plate, and favour herb or wildflower patches to supply longer‑lasting nectar sources.
- Make gardens more drought‑resilient by mowing less often, keeping grass higher, and delaying hedge cutting until after bird breeding ends at the close of July to preserve cool shelter for wildlife.