All Gardeners should be encouraging Hedgehogs into their gardens and/or allotments. Hedgehogs are voracious predators of some of the gardeners most hated pests - Slugs and Snails. They are nocturnal and may visit many gardens in one night, foraging for caterpillars, worms, beetles, slugs, snails and any other edible bits and pieces they can find. They may travel several miles in one night searching for food or perhaps a mate. As dawn approaches they return to their individual nests to sleep until it is dark again. If they are slightly frightened or unsure, they will raise their spines to give them some protection, sometimes they may run away, as they have quite long legs! But if very frightened they will curl into a tight impenetrable ball. The spines are specialised hairs and when raised are quite sharp.

Nearly a quarter of Hedgehogs die before leaving their nest; probably a half of the rest do not survive their first hibernation. You can encourage hedgehogs to visit your garden more often by putting out food for them, particularly when the ground is hard (e.g. in droughts and in hard frosts), but it is important that if you do this you try to make your garden safe for them first. We can all assist those which have endured these early adversities in several ways:-

By providing as safe an environment as possible in our gardens and allotments. Whenever possible a small corner should be left as a wildlife sanctuary, the rewards of which will include the pleasure of seeing visiting Hedgehogs, as well as the knowledge that they will be helping in clearing the ground of pests.

DO NOT USE slug pellets in your garden , as these CAN kill Hedgehogs. If you are overrun with slugs and your resident Hedgehog(s) do not seem to be keeping the numbers down you could try beer traps (dishes of beer placed at the bottom of plants into which the slugs fall or climb) or a 'biological', non-chemical control, comprising parasitic worms.

Hedgehogs might build a nest underneath a woodpile and, if left undisturbed for some time, algae and mosses will cover it, attracting insects. The nest will consist of garden debris, grass, leaves, bits of paper etc. It will be quite a large construction, over a foot long, and is often made under a hedge, shed, pile of rubbish or brambles. In winter when nights get colder and their food is not so easily found, they will hibernate in their nests until conditions improve. The dark interior may also encourage slow worms (another predator of the slug) to seek shelter.

Accumulating garden leaves, brushwood, etc. - suitable for Hedgehog nests and supplementing their natural diet of slugs, snails, beetles, worms, caterpillars and suchlike with some protein (e.g. Tinned pet food, minced meat, scrambled eggs, grated cheese), particularly in periods of unseasonable weather. A bowl of drinking water should also be available.

Flowering hedges provide flowers and fruits for wildlife, nesting places for birds and cover for Hedgehogs, voles and shrews. They are also much more attractive than fences. Recommended hedging species: beech, holly (evergreen winter shelter for roosting birds), alder buckthorn, dog rose, hazel, goat willow, hawthorn, berberis.

Do not be tempted to keep a wild hedgehog in an enclosed garden. Although it may seem like there is a lot of food available, they will soon finish this off and may starve. More importantly, they are wild animals and used to wandering several miles in one night. Confining healthy adult hedgehogs can cause unnecessary suffering. Never take a healthy hedgehog from the wild - it may be a mother with a litter of babies waiting for her return. Without their mother the hoglets will die. Sometimes people move a hedgehog from their front to their back garden, where it is thought to be safer, but again this could mean that any hoglets may starve.

Some precautions to take:

Bonfires
Garden Rubbish frequently provides a home for Hedgehogs and should be carefully turned over before burning. The larger heaps which accumulate for 5th November of course, should always be checked PRIOR to the Bonfire Night festivities.

Grass Cutting
Grass, especially if a little longer than usual, is another possible home for Hedgehog families and care is needed before MOWING and STRIMMING. Pampas grass is a favourite spot for them to make their nests. Some gardeners burn or strim their pampas grass. Check carefully to be absolutely sure there is no hedgehog asleep inside.

Pools & Ponds
Hedgehogs can swim and are sometimes attracted to GARDEN PONDS, but they may drown if they cannot get out. So, gardeners should ensure that there are slipways around the edge of the water to enable the Hedgehogs to escape - half submerged rocks or even a piece of chicken wire to be used like a scrambling net are suggested. In wet weather anything which collects water can become dangerous e.g. children's paddling pools, sandpits, buckets and flower pots (when not in use keep them upside down). Can you prevent them falling into your swimming pool as well?

Netting
Netting used for covering plants and fruit can be a major hazard as Hedgehogs easily become entangled in them. Keep netting about 9-12 inches above the ground, this includes pea netting, barbed wire, tennis nets (in schools - cricket, hockey and football nets). The hedgehog can then go under the net and not push its way through and become entangled. Their inquisitiveness can also get them into trouble if their heads stick in various kinds of CONTAINERS- empty food cans, yoghurt cups, plastic mugs etc. Perhaps even more deadly now are the plastic rings that hold four cans together. Always make sure each circle is cut.

Holes
Cover any drain holes and provide escape routes (e.g. rigid netting or a plank of wood) from deep holes, like bean trenches, car inspection pits, newly dug but still empty ponds, fence post holes, foundation holes etc.

Tidying
Check there are no hedgehogs under piles of rubbish you are clearing; sheds you are moving, grass you are strimming (we see horrific injuries) and inside open bags of compost, peat etc., before you start work. Check compost heaps before you push a fork into them. Check sheds, garages, greenhouses etc. normally left open at night, before you permanently close their doors (e.g. to go on holiday).

Rubbish
Keep bags of rubbish out of reach, so a hedgehog does not get into it and perhaps get put out for the bin men! Make sure your rubbish is disposed of safely, hedgehogs get caught in twine, four ring can holders, barbed wire, plastic yoghurt cartons and even narrow necked bottles.

Dogs
Keep an eye on your dog when he is let out at night, particularly if you suspect he may attack a hedgehog and you think hedgehogs are about.

Chemicals
Take care when using and storing any chemicals and slug pellets, that you do not poison any hedgehogs or indeed any other wildlife or pets. Children may also be at risk. See if you can find an alternative which is safer. Use environmentally safe wood preservatives on sheds, fences etc. as hedgehogs often lick new smells or substances.

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Information from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society Homepage

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Last updated 9 March, 2002
© copyright 1999, P. A. Owen