"Rachael Nex" wrote in message
. ..

"BAC" wrote in message
...

slow worms in the bin...



Well, if you deliberately disturb them, you won't be breaking the law,
because they don't enjoy full protection under the Wildlife and
Countryside
Act.

That I was aware of but I don't want to disturb them because I like them,
rather than I am afraid of breaking a law. IYSWIM.

Quite right, too.


They are protected against killing, injury and being traded, however.

So I keep telling my neighbor when he is careless with the strimmer. I
don't
think he cares about them though, sadly.


As you probably know, slow worms mate in May, but retain the eggs in
their
bodies until August/September, about now, in other words, when 6 to 12
live
young are born.

That I didn't know - I knew they mated in May but not that they retained
their eggs.

It might be a good idea to not risk disturbing them for a
few weeks.

Indeed, thanks for the tip. I wouldn't want to disturb them at all even
accidently in that case so - I think I'll resist turning the bin contents
for a while. My garden is a nursery then - aaaw !


It might be. If your heap 'fails', you can always start over later.


Your compost heap does sound a bit dry, but if it is working, as you say
it
is, then it's fairly OK, perhaps?

Slow worms eat plenty of garden pests, so they are 'gardeners' friends'.

Yus, and they're very attractive and dare I say it at the risk of sounding
girlie ... cute. But then again, most thing animal or reptile or indeed
insect are "cute" as far as I'm concerned. :-)



In that case, you are fortunate to have such interesting residents in your
garden.