Giving Hedgehogs a Helping Hand

As we come into Spring, with lighter evenings and hopefully warmer days, you may see signs of a hedgehog visiting your garden. Even though they will be out roaming at night you may see the tell tale signs of their droppings. Sometimes mistaken for a slug on your lawn the droppings are between 15-50mm often with the shiny outer casing of insects.

Hedgehogs can roam up to a mile a night searching for food but over the decades their ability to do so has been restricted by garden fences and lawns being converted into paved areas. Recent research suggests that up to a 1/3 of the population has been lost in urban areas but with a 50% decline in rural areas.

Hedgehogs evolved 15 million years ago and were a common sight where hedges were left to flourish and insects were abundant. Unfortunately with less land as suitable habitat hedgehogs have had to adapt to a more urban environment often crossing busy roads to get to a food source.

Like many of our other British wildlife they need a helping hand from us. Here is how you can help to support your local population of hedgehogs.

• Create a hedgehog highway which is basically a hole in your fence, gate or wall that links your garden to your neighbours. The opening needs to be 13cm x 13 cm and the more you link your garden to your neighbours, street, village the more access hedgehogs will have to search for food.

• Put out food and water. This is not to replace hedgehog’s natural food source but to supplement their diet. Wet and/or dry cat or dog food is suitable but not fish based. Also no mealworms, it is now found that the phosphorous in mealworms is affecting the bones of the hedgehog. Bread and milk should also not be put out. Water is especially welcome in the summer months.

• If you are concerned about other animals eating the food a feeding station can be made from a plastic storage box with a 13cm opening and ideally part of a drain pipe as an entrance should certainly deter cats going inside to eat.

• If possible stop using chemicals in the garden. Hedgehogs eat a variety of insects and invertebrates from caterpillars, beetles, worms, millipedes to slugs. Encourage hedgehogs into your garden to act as pest controllers.

• Obviously before using the strimmer check that no hedgehogs have made their home in the overgrown areas. It can cause horrific injuries.

• To give a hedgehog somewhere to hibernate over winter you might like to make a hedgehog home. A great website for how to make a home and all things hedgehog is www.hedgehogstreet.org

• Finally get together with other like minded people to educate, share and support others in your area to support this beautiful but at risk British mammal.

Karen - Landkey Hedgehog Group

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