Why Hedgehogs Need a Helping Hand

Hedgehogs are one of Britain’s most beloved garden visitors, yet their numbers have fallen sharply in recent decades. Loss of hedgerows, intensive farming, busy roads and tidy gardens have all taken their toll. The good news is that a single garden can make a real difference. A gap in a fence, a shallow dish of water and a commitment to avoid chemicals are often enough to encourage hedgehogs to visit, feed and perhaps even hibernate.

Making an Entrance: Hedgehog Highways

Hedgehogs roam widely at night, often travelling a mile or more. A solid fence can stop them in their tracks. The simplest solution is a hedgehog highway: a gap roughly 13 centimetres square (about 5 inches) at the base of your fence or wall. This allows hedgehogs to pass through whilst keeping pets contained. Talk to your neighbours about creating a linked series of gaps, so hedgehogs can move between gardens without risking the roads.

Check your boundaries for hazards. Loose netting can entangle hedgehogs, so replace it with solid fencing or use netting with a mesh of at least 5 centimetres. Garden ponds need a gentle ramp or sloping edge so any hedgehog that falls in can climb out. Avoid strimmers and lawnmowers near dense shrubs or long grass without checking first, as hedgehogs often rest there during the day.

Shelter and Hibernation: Somewhere to Sleep

A hedgehog needs a safe place to sleep during the day and to hibernate in winter. Provide this with a simple log pile, a compost heap, or a purpose-built hedgehog house. A good house is made of untreated wood, with a tunnel entrance to deter predators, and measures roughly 40 centimetres long, 30 centimetres wide and 25 centimetres high. Place it in a quiet, shaded corner, away from prevailing wind and direct sunlight, and cover it with dry leaves for insulation. Do not disturb it between November and March.

If you prefer a more natural approach, leave a wild corner undisturbed. A pile of logs, branches and dead leaves provides shelter and a source of insects. Compost heaps are popular, but take care when turning them in winter: a hedgehog may be sleeping inside. Lift the heap gently with a fork and check before you move anything.

Food and Water: A Helping Hand at Night

Hedgehogs feed on beetles, caterpillars, slugs and earthworms. A wildlife-friendly garden with log piles and chemical-free borders will naturally provide much of this. Supplementary food helps in late summer and autumn, when hedgehogs build fat reserves for hibernation. Offer meat-based cat or dog food (not fish or gravy), or dry cat biscuits. Dried mealworms are fine as a treat, not a staple. Never give milk or bread: milk causes diarrhoea and bread has little nutritional value.

Water is just as important. Put out a shallow dish of fresh water every day. Do not use a saucer that is too deep, as hedgehogs can drown. Keep it clean and refill regularly. If you have a pond, ensure a safe exit.

What about slugs? Never use slug pellets, which are lethal to hedgehogs. Instead, encourage natural predators like frogs, toads and birds, or use barrier methods such as copper tape or beer traps placed so hedgehogs cannot drink the beer.

Gardening Without Chemicals

The single most important thing you can do for hedgehogs is to garden organically. Pesticides, herbicides and slug pellets do not just kill pests; they remove the insects hedgehogs rely on and can poison the hedgehogs themselves. Avoid all chemicals. Let a few weeds grow, leave seed heads for birds, and tolerate a little untidiness. A garden that is too tidy is often a garden without wildlife.

Choose native plants such as hawthorn, hazel and honeysuckle for hedges, and allow some areas of long grass. These provide cover and attract insects. If you must use a strimmer, check the area first, and cut from the centre outwards. Light bonfires only on the day you intend to burn them, and check the pile for hedgehogs before lighting.

A Year-Round Welcome

Hedgehogs need different things at different times of year. In spring and summer, they are active at night, so keep your garden free of hazards and provide food and water. In autumn, leave leaf piles and log stacks undisturbed as they search for hibernation sites. In winter, avoid disturbing potential hibernation spots, and keep a shallow dish of water available during mild spells. In spring, watch for emerging hedgehogs and offer food if the weather is cold.

If you see a hedgehog, enjoy the moment from a distance. Do not pick it up unless it is in immediate danger, and never keep one as a pet. If you find an injured or underweight hedgehog, particularly in winter, contact a local wildlife rescue. With a few small changes, your garden can become a vital link in a network of hedgehog-friendly spaces. Every gap, every log pile and every chemical-free border helps these creatures to thrive.