During the winter season, it is not uncommon to see tennis balls scattered throughout the gardens.
It's no coincidence: these balls play an important role for garden animals.
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Why leave tennis balls in the garden in winter?
The lives of animals, especially birds and aquatic insects, depend on water.
In winter, a frozen water source can be extremely detrimental.
Animals cannot hydrate or bathe, which compromises their health and reduces their chances of survival.
To help them, placing a tennis ball in your garden is a method that seems unusual at first glance.
But it plays a key role in the garden during the colder months of the year.
Indeed, this practice, recommended by organizations such as the
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(RSPCA) in the United Kingdom (the English equivalent of the SPA), makes it possible to help animals during winter.
The principle is simple: by placing a tennis ball on the surface of a water point, you prevent the formation of a layer of ice.
The ball, by moving with the wind, will create an opening, which is essential to allow animals to continue accessing water, even when temperatures drop and other water sources are frozen.
This practice is particularly beneficial for ponds, basins and ponds, where fish can suffer from a lack of oxygen when the water freezes completely.
Birds can thus drink and bathe during the winter.
Tennis balls are also less expensive than other devices available for sale, such as frost bells or air stones.
Good to know
It is also possible to use a simple rubber ball.
Also readHow to protect your pond or basin from freezing?
When to place tennis balls?
To facilitate access to water for animals, it is advisable to place your tennis balls on the surface of the water in the evening, before temperatures drop.
Check regularly that the ball is not blocked by frost.
Feel free to add several balls if necessary to cover a large area.
Where to place tennis balls in the garden?
To maximize the effectiveness of tennis balls, here are some places you can place them:
In your waterers, especially those intended for your chickens, wild birds, as well as your dogs, cats and horses
In your small ponds and garden ponds, whether or not they contain aquatic animals
In all water basins and bathtubs present in your exteriors, including open rainwater collectors