10 ways to help hedgehogs in your garden
Hedgehogs numbers in Britain have fallen dramatically in recent years, with over half being lost since 2000, leading to them being placed on the Red List for British Mammals in 2020. While the cause of the decline is not completely understood it is thought to be down to the continuing intensification of agriculture, the fragmentation of habitat (particularly in urban areas), and predation by badgers.
Our gardens provide a crucial habitat for these creatures, and since this week is Hedgehog Awareness Week, here are 10 things you can do in your garden to give them the helping hand they so desperately need.
1. Keep a wild corner
Leaving a pile of leaves, logs or twigs in a quiet corner of your garden can create the perfect habitat for hedgehogs, providing a warm, dry and secluded place for them to nest in and hibernate. It will also attract a range of invertebrates, such as slugs and beetles, into your garden which make a great hedgehog snack.
2. Plant a tree
Planting a fruit tree (e.g. pear, apple, or cherry) can encourage invertebrates into your garden. The fallen leaves in Autumn also provide an excellent nesting habitat for hedgehogs and other wildlife.
3. Avoid chemicals
Ditch the chemicals and go organic. Using herbicides on your lawn can reduce earthworm populations, a key hedgehog food. Slug pellets and pesticides can also make hedgehogs very ill or even kill them. Hedgehogs are a key slug preditor so encouraging them is a natural way to reduce slug numbers!
4. Create hedgehog highways
One of the best things you can do for hedgehogs is to give them access to your garden. This increases the size of their roaming area, and the more people who do this the larger the 'hedgehog highway'. Simply cut a hole, 12cm x 12cm, in the bottom of your fence. If you have a large garden, consider making several access points.
5. Build a hedgehog home
Hedgehogs need a dry, safe place to raise young and hibernate, and a hedgehog house is the perfect habitat.
6. Make your pond safe
A deep pond can be a deadly trap for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs can swim but get tired quickly and can find it difficult to get out. Make sure your pond has a gently sloping side so that hedgehogs have an easy way out.
7. Check before strimming or mowing
Strimming and mowing are the most common injuries to hedghogs. Before strimming or mowing check long grass for hedgehogs. If you find any, move them to a safe spot well out of harms way.
8. Provide food and water
While natural food is of course best for hedgehogs, you can give them a helping hand with supplementary food, especially before and after winter hibernation. Provide meat-based dog or cat food, preferably chicken or turkey flavour. Avoid leaving out bread or milk as this can dehydrate and ultimately kill hedgehogs.
9. Check bonfires
Hedgehogs can mistake a bonfire for the perfect hiberation spot. Preferrably light a bonfire on the same day you build it or dismantle it and rebuild it just before lighting. This ensures that no hedgehogs are caught inside when lit.
10. Raise awareness
Raise awareness about the plight of hedgehogs in your school, work place, or community. Hedgehog Awareness Week runs each year and is organised by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. You can also sign up to be a hedgehog champion at the Hedgehog Street.