Creating a wildlife - and hedgehog - friendly garden…
There is lots that you can do to create a safe environment for hedgehogs and other wildlife to thrive! Gardens form an important habitat for our wildlife, particularly hedgehogs. Recent studies show that hedgehog populations are starting to stabilise in urban environments, so it’s important that we create a mosaic of wildlife gardens throughout our towns and villages to allow hedgehogs to roam, survive and thrive!
Access between gardens for hedgehogs
Hedgehogs can roam over a mile a night, it’s important to create access in and out of gardens. You can create a ‘hog hole’ or ‘hedgehog highway’.
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Steps and tiered gardens can present a hazard for hedgehogs, but adding bricks, logs or ramps can make it easy for them to access the entire garden without risking becoming stuck.
Wild areas
Hedgehogs love borders! They tend to follow edges, so allowing garden borders to grow wild and have dense undergrowth and vegetation will create a perfect foraging habitat for hedgehogs as well as provide nesting materials and sites. Wildflowers and other plants which encourage insects help create a rich environment.
Leaf piles are a great source of hedgehog nest material as well as being another place to forage. The same goes for log piles which provide the perfect home; as they start to break down this generates a hive of insect activity which is the perfect place for hedgehogs to forage.
Common dangers for hedgehogs and how to create a safe environment
There are lots of hazards within our gardens. Here are the common ones and how to remove them:
Pesticides and slug pellets. Always read the label, or better yet go chemical-free. Each year we saw many caustic burns cases on hedgehogs, caused by weed killers, lawn feeds and chemicals which have not been stored safely or disposed of appropriately. There are lots of natural alternatives such as crushed eggshells, coffee grounds and copper tape.
Netting entanglements. Raise garden or sports netting off the ground to allow hedgehogs to pass beneath, and pack away completely when not in use.
Create garden ponds - but also make them safe for wildlife
Wildlife ponds can be as simple as a bin lid sunken into the ground with rocks and plants added. Water is a lifeline for hedgehogs and all wildlife, its amazing how quickly new ponds are used and become home to wildlife. Check out the Wildlife Trusts guide for making a wildlife pond here.
Hedgehogs are good swimmers but ponds can present a hazard to hedgehogs if they have steep or plastic sides. Creating gradual slopes or adding a ramp can ensure they can easily access the water and exit if they do enter the water.
How else can you help hedgehogs and encourage them to come into your garden?
If you want to support the hedgehogs visiting your garden further then providing a shallow dish of water and some food can really help and will likely encourage them to keep visiting. Our motto is keep it simple - a dish of cat/kitten biscuits or some wet cat/dog food. For more info on feeding advice check out our dedicated page here.
Hedgehog nest boxes are another way of supporting visiting hedgehogs. Our advice is always for a box, not an igloo, and for an internal or external tunnel to help exclude drafts and ensure it is safe. Check out our dedicated page and see our recommendation for nest boxes here. We also have a free design if you want to make your own.
