Protecting Hedgehogs

Hedgehog in garden

Encourage hedgehogs into your garden this autumn/winter with top tips and guidance provided by The British Hedgehog Preservation Society.

 

“The British hedgehog is now classed as vulnerable to extinction” [British Hedgehog Preservation Society]

 

There are many things you can do to help these well-loved animals thrive and survive in your garden, and with their appetite for snails, slugs and other garden pests, hedgehogs can in turn help you too!

  1. Check grass and hedges thoroughly before using mowers, strimmers or hedge cutters.
  2. Tidy all sports nets away after use, and make sure fruit and veg netting is raised at least 30cm off the ground.
  3. If you find a hedgehog trapped in netting please rescue it and take it to your local rehabilitation centre.
  4. If you can, try not to use pesticides and slug pellets in your garden. These can have an impact on both hedgehogs and their food sources, there are many organic methods that can be used instead.
  5. Provide access points for hedgehogs with either a small gap at the bottom of fences, 13cm high, or create a bespoke ‘hedgehog crossing’.
  6. Make or buy a hedgehog house, they can provide safe shelters for these little animals, and also a perfect nesting spot for a mother and her hoglets in the warmer months.
  7. Bonfire sites provide a tempting home for hedgehogs. The best thing to do is to relocate materials to a different site before the bonfire is lit, or check thoroughly with a torch if this is not possible.

 

Watch our video below with Moira Grant, local Hedgehog Champion to get her top tips on protecting hedgehogs in your garden and when out and about.