Diarmuid Gavin: Why your garden spring clean should wait until insects have woken up

Disturbing butterflies, bees and decomposers too early can be detrimental to their survival Butterflies find safe hiding spots in sheds Some balmy spring weather this month has tempted many of us outdoors to assess our plot and see what needs to be done to get it ready after its winter dormancy. The birds are busy singing to each other and preparing nests for their young. A woodpecker in my garden taps away every morning, the distinct hammering on wood his message to other birds that this tree is his territory.

The hum of lawnmowers and whine of power washers competes with the bird song as gardeners begin to clear away the debris of winter..