Sometimes, doing nothing is the best thing we can do for our butterflies and moths – especially if you are a gardener. Untidy gardens can provide insects with a safe haven from cold weather and predators.

Winter is a harsh time for most insects in the UK, but they have all evolved strategies to get them through a period when food is scarce and temperatures are too low for them to be active.

Providing winter homes for insects is an easy way to get more butterflies and moths in our gardens in the summer months. So, this winter we’re asking you to leave the leaf litter, keep the branches, let plant stems go uncut and Do Nothing for Nature!

#DoNothingForNature

Top tips for helping butterflies and moths this winter

This is such an important time of the year for every species of butterfly and moth, no matter what stage in their lifecycle they are and we need to let them rest and keep them safe so they can make it through the winter. Instead of heading out there and tidying up the garden, grab a brew and read on to learn the best ways to help butterflies and moths this winter.

Alternatives to gardening this winter

Leaving our gardens alone during the winter months helps the butterflies and moths that are sheltering there make it through to spring. But, if you’re getting a bit restless, here are some ideas for alternatives to tidying the garden this winter...

The hidden treasure in your leaf litter

From Autumn onwards there are leaves of beautiful browns, yellows and greens turning to crispy litter in gardens and green spaces across the UK. But before you reach for your rake or (for the more technologically advanced among us) the leaf blower, stop and think, ‘what is in my leaf litter?’

Get Quizzicle

Doing Nothing for Nature? Take on our general knowledge butterfly and moth quiz to truly test your love for Lepidoptera.

Pledge to Create a Wild Space

Do Nothing Now, but Pledge to Create a Wild Space this spring!

Since 1945 the UK has lost 98% of its meadows. This habitat loss along with climate change means that our butterflies and moths are in severe decline.

But... it doesn’t have to be this way. We need your help! We're on a mission to create 100,000 Wild Spaces by 2026 to help improve the state of butterflies and moths in the UK.

Sign up to pledge to create Wild Space(s) now and we'll be in touch in due course with more information about how you can get involved.

Pledge to Create a Wild Space

Facts: An insight into why you should Do Nothing for Nature

If you're considering whether to #DoNothingForNature or trying to convince your friends, family, or work colleagues to get on board too, here are some facts about overwintering butterflies and moths to help you discover more about different species and their wintery hidden homes.

I found a butterfly in my house - what should I do?

It is often a problem for the concerned householder in winter, how best to help these poor confused butterflies unwittingly tricked into thinking spring has come early. We are often asked what to do with a hibernating butterfly in your home, garage or shed.

British Swallowtail butterfly on violets

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