How to make your garden a haven for hedgehogs
Do your bit to help the gardener’s best friend, with 7 ways to make your patch more hedgehog-friendly.
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Do your bit to help the gardener’s best friend, with 7 ways to make your patch more hedgehog-friendly.
If you’ve been mesmerised by the spiky stars of David Attenborough’s Secret Garden, you might be wondering why you haven't seen a hedgehog peeping through your own fence. Sadly, hedgehogs need our help. They were put on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List as “vulnerable to extinction in Great Britain” in 2020. But although the State of Britain's hedgehogs report 2022 reported that hedgehog populations had fallen in rural areas nationally by up to 75% in the last two decades, there are encouraging signs that their numbers could be bouncing back.
Think back to the 1950s and there were 36 million hedgehogs in the UK, but now there are less than a million left. If you are a gardener they have long been an important companion. That’s because they’re a great form of natural pest control. Some of their favourite snacks include caterpillars and slugs.
Thankfully, there are some simple improvements you can make to your garden that will create a more welcoming space for hedgehogs.
Try these tips if you want to make more prickly friends.
Want to attract hedgehogs to your garden? Before you dash to the fridge and pour a saucer of milk to leave outside, stop.
“We now know that this can upset hedgehog tummies, so we advise against giving them milk and bread,” explains Fay Vass, chief executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS).
Leave shallow dishes of fresh water instead, she suggests, and some more suitable snacks to supplement hedgehogs’ natural diet. “We suggest a good-quality meaty hedgehog food, meaty cat or dog food, or cat biscuits.
“You could also create a log pile, as this will encourage beetles, caterpillars and other insects, which are the natural foods for hedgehogs – a bug buffet!”
She adds that growing wildflowers will also attract a wide array of insects – good news for your hedgehogs.
If you are putting food out containing meat, be sure to check for signs of rodents. You don’t want to inadvertently invite all the local rats to your outdoor area for dinner, too.
Don’t be fooled by those little legs. Hedgehogs can travel up to 2km a night, according to the Mammal Society. That’s a lot of gardens. These nocturnal wanderings are often interrupted by walls and fences. You can’t attract hedgehogs to your garden if they can’t get in, after all.
“You just need to make 13cm x 13cm (5.1in) square gaps in your fences or walls, which should allow even the biggest hedgehogs to pass through safely,” says Vass. “If you can, put gaps on all sides of your garden, so that hedgehogs can travel throughout your neighbourhood.
"Encourage all your neighbours to do the same and you will have linked up all the gardens so hedgehogs can travel safely to search for food, shelter or mates – creating a ‘hedgehog highway’.”
Once these gaps have been created, BHPS urges people to please log them on the Big Hedgehog Map.
Knowing how to attract hedgehogs is one thing but encouraging them to stay for a while is another. Who doesn’t love to feel warm, dry and safe? Providing a hedgehog house can do just that. Not only can these secure spaces become a place to nest, they might also prove ideal spots for hibernation.
There are some pre-made products on the market, or you could build your own. “Ideally, the house should have a base and some kind of entrance tunnel to keep predators from reaching in and to keep out the worst of the weather,” says Vass. “BHPS has a design you can download from its website with all the dimensions you need.
“Once you’ve built your hedgehog house, position it in a quiet corner of the garden, ideally under some bushes or a hedge. Try and position it so that the entranceway faces roughly south. This will help keep out the cold northerly winds in the winter.
“You can add some dry leaves to the house, but don’t overfill it – no more than half full should be fine. You could leave a pile of extra bedding material nearby, too, so that your hedgehogs can help themselves to more if they need it.
“If you have a hedgehog house with an occupant, don’t be tempted to peek in either. Hedgehog mums are notoriously bad for abandoning their babies if they get disturbed – the last thing anyone wants – so best to leave them in peace in their hedgehog home.”
To help ease the temptation to peek inside your hedgehog house, why not put in a camera instead?
Try installing a wildlife camera to enjoy watching your hedgehogs from a distance.
If you’ve managed to attract hedgehogs to your garden, tempting as it might be to try and hand-feed them, it can be harmful to their survival in the wild.
“Hedgehogs are wild animals and will be stressed by handling,” says Vass. “There is no reason to touch a healthy hedgehog that is only out at night. Even a sick or injured hedgehog should only be handled for the initial rescue and then ongoing treatments.
“They should not be treated as pets or handled any more than is absolutely necessary for their wellbeing. Not only can the stress exacerbate any conditions they might have, but it may even prove fatal.”
Though the sale of slug pellets containing the pesticide metaldehyde has been banned in the UK, other types are still on the market. Or you may have a long-forgotten box in the back of your shed. There are many reasons not to use pellets – protecting hedgehogs is one of them.
“Don’t use pesticides or slug pellets in your garden,” agrees Vass. “Not only can these harm hedgehogs, but they also damage their food chain.”
Though these pests are a pain, there are other ways to keep slugs out of the garden without using harsh chemicals that would then be ingested by a hedgehog seeking out a slimy snack.
Although we generally like our outside space to look as tidy as possible, many people are rewilding gardens. This is great news for hedgehogs, as Vass recommends leaving a section of your garden to go wild as a great way to attract hedgehogs.
“If you do have lots of long grass, piles of leaves or a compost heap, think twice before you interfere with them in any way,” he says.
Sharon Jacobs, a senior nurse from Tiggywinkles, the world’s busiest wildlife hospital and a specialist in hedgehogs, echoes this.
“We would urge gardeners to take care when mowing, strimming, or hedge cutting,” she says. “We see thousands of injuries from this sort of activity every year, and it can be easily avoided by checking the areas you are working on before starting.”
“Bonfires are a tempting home for a hedgehog,” says Vass.
“Collected materials should be re-sited just before the fire is to be lit. If this is not possible, the base should be lifted with poles or broom handles (not a fork) and a torch shone in – look (and listen) for any wildlife or pets in need of rescue before lighting.
“Finally, always light from one side to provide an escape route for anything you may have missed.”
Creating a pond is also a fantastic way to attract hedgehogs to your garden, as they’ll feed on the insects that are drawn to the water.
Vass reminds us that, despite being good swimmers, hedgehogs can become trapped in ponds (or pools) with sheer sides: “Keep water levels topped up, provide a gently sloping edge if possible, or place half submerged rocks or a ramp in the water as an escape for them.”
Now you know how to attract hedgehogs to your garden, hopefully you’ll find evidence of their visits overnight. But if you’re spotting your new spiny friends during the day, it might mean something’s not quite right.
Evangeline Button, RSPCA’s senior scientific officer, says: “As a rule of thumb, if you see a hedgehog out during the day, it’s likely there is something wrong, as hedgehogs are usually nocturnal creatures. This is because the insects and other small animals they feed on are normally active at night, too.
“However, during dry periods of weather, species like earthworms become scarce as the ground dries out, so they may be having to search harder and further for food.
“So, if they appear active and there is nothing obviously wrong – for example the hedgehog is not injured, circling or staggering or in immediate danger – they should be left alone, but provide some food and water to help them.”
If you’re not sure, then Button recommends contacting a local wildlife rescue centre for more advice. The BHPS can also put you in touch with a local, independent hedgehog rescue volunteer (by calling 01584 890801).
Should you need to collect a sick or injured hedgehog so that it can be looked after by a rescue centre or volunteer, Button advises the following: “If it’s safe to catch and handle the hedgehog, then, wearing thick gloves or using a folded towel, gently pick it up.
“Place it into a secure, high-sided cardboard box, lined with a towel. You might also find that gently throwing a towel over the hedgehog causes it to curl up, making it easier to catch.
“Then, take the hedgehog to a wildlife rescue centre. If you can’t do this immediately, keep the hedgehog somewhere warm and quiet indoors, and offer them a small amount of suitable food and water, but make sure you take them to an expert for care as soon as you can.
“Unfortunately, a lot of the time, sick or injured wild animals are in a very bad state by the time they can be caught, and the kindest thing for the vet to do is to put the animal to sleep, so please be prepared that they may need to take that difficult decision.”
The RSCPA says keep in mind:
More information about helping hedgehogs can be found on the RSPCA website. The BHPS also has some useful first-aid tips on its website. If in doubt, though, seek advice from your local wildlife rehabilitator.
You can also find out more about helping hedgehogs by becoming a “hedgehog champion”. Sign up for free at hedgehogstreet.org (a project run by BHPS and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species) to receive news and seasonal advice.
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