Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

How you can help hedgehogs this winter

Post Thumbnail

In the last decade, hedgehog numbers have gone down by 30% due to a variety of factors including habitat loss and changes in farming techniques, according to The Wildlife Trusts, which estimates there may be less than a million left in the UK.
Many worms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars and millipedes – which form the hedgehog’s natural diet – have been killed off by chemical treatments and intensive farming methods. Badgers also compete for the same food. A wildlife survey by the RSPB found that the number of people who have never seen a hedgehog in their garden rose to 24% last year. And as hedgerows and the countryside, which forms their natural habitat, dwindles, so the garden becomes even more important as a hedgehog haven.
So what can we do to save this prickly garden favourite? The Wildlife Trusts advises:
CREATE HEDGEHOG HIGHWAYS

They need plenty of access to search for food, nesting sites and mates. Cut a 13cm-squared hole in your fence or dig a channel under garden boundaries to allow them to wander and get your neighbours to do the same.
PROVIDE NESTING SITES

Log and leaf piles, wilderness areas and purpose-built hedgehog homes are ideal places for hedgehogs to nest and hibernate. Fallen leaves make the perfect nesting material, so don’t clear all of these away in autumn. Pile them in quiet, undisturbed corners of your garden to allow hedgehogs a safe, secure area to breed and hibernate.

A Generic Photo of a hedgehog in a garden. See PA Feature GARDENING Hedgehogs. Picture credit should read: PA Photo/thinkstockphotos. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature GARDENING Hedgehogs.
A Generic Photo of a hedgehog in a garden. See PA Feature GARDENING Hedgehogs. Picture credit should read: PA Photo/thinkstockphotos. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature GARDENING Hedgehogs.

AVOID SLUG PELLETS

Hedgehogs hoover up more than 100 invertebrates such as snails, slugs and worms every night, so no need to use slug pellets.
COVER DRAINS AND GULLIES

Hedgehogs have poor eyesight, but are quite curious, meaning they fall into holes and get stuck, so cover up any open drains and gullies. If you have a pond, make sure you provide an access point so hedgehogs can climb back out – create a slope with stones or other material.
GROW A WIDE VARIETY OF PLANTS

Attract plenty of natural hedgehog food by keeping your garden diverse with a wide variety of habitats. Mulching beds with garden compost will encourage earthworms, woodlice and beetles as it begins to rot down, while wood piles encourage a rich feast of earwigs, centipedes and woodlice. Let your grass grow a little wild and leave some leaf litter – both are important homes for the hedgehog’s prey including ground beetles and leatherjackets.

GARDENING Hedgehogs 084791
CHECK BONFIRES

Every year, hedgehogs die under bonfire piles that have not been checked before being lit. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society advises avoiding building your bonfire until the day it is going to be lit to reduce the chances of hedgehogs hibernating in the bonfire pile. Always build your bonfire on clear ground (not on top of leaf litter) and check for hedgehogs before lighting.
SET UP A FEEDING STATION

Cut a clear hole in a plastic storage box and weigh down the lid with bricks to stop cats and foxes taking the food. If you are worried about attracting rats, don’t put out grain-based foods on the floor and take in any excess food when your hedgehog has visited.
The British Hedgehog Preservation Society also advises:
TAKE CARE WHEN TURNING COMPOST

The compost heap is another ideal place for a hedgehog to make a nest and rear its young. When turning the heap; one thrust of a fork can easily kill more than one baby hedgehog. The safest time to spread the heap is probably October or November when most babies have left their mother and adults have not yet started to hibernate. Partly-used bags of compost may also have nesting hedgehogs in them.
REPAIR FENCES

Mend wooden fences that blow down in the wind as soon as possible or hedgehogs may be tempted to make their nests underneath them. Leave a hole in fences or newly constructed walls so the hedgehogs can come and go. Use environmentally-safe wood preservatives on sheds and fences as hedgehogs often lick new smells or substances – your garden centre should be able to advise.
NETTING

Keep all pea-netting a foot above the ground so hedgehogs can go under it and will not try to go through it and become stuck. The same applies to tennis nets and football nets.
FEED THEM

Ensure they have a fresh supply of water available and leave a dish of dog food in a place where the hedgehog can get it, but not the local cats.

For more information go to www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk and www.wildlifetrusts.org/hedgehogs