In the middle of the last century, the UK’s hedgehog population was estimated at around 30 million. Today, recent reports indicate that only 1 to 1.5 million remain. This drastic decline is attributed to various factors, including habitat loss due to urban development and changes in farming practices, particularly the removal of hedgerows.
The use of pesticides not only poisons hedgehogs but also reduces the number of invertebrates, an important food source for them.
Garden fencing poses another challenge, making it harder for hedgehogs to travel between areas. This isolation can lead to reduced genetic diversity and, in turn, localised extinctions. Hedgehogs are also injured or killed in gardens by tools like strimmers, as well as by hazards such as netting and bonfires.
While badgers are natural predators of hedgehogs and compete with them for food like worms and beetles, their overall impact is debated. Hedgehog populations are declining even in areas where badgers are absent.
An estimated 300,000 hedgehogs are killed on British roads annually, with nearly 10% of the road network considered unsafe for them. These deaths peak during the summer months. Roads also fragment landscapes, creating isolated populations that struggle to survive.
The most significant declines have occurred in rural areas. However, hedgehog numbers in urban areas appear to be increasing slightly. This may be due to better access to food and the efforts of people creating hedgehog-friendly gardens.
One of the most effective ways to attract hedgehogs to your garden is by offering suitable shelter. In autumn, hedgehogs in the wild start to collect dry leaves, grass, bracken, and reeds to construct nests under hedgerows or fallen logs, preparing for winter hibernation. They will also build similar nests in which to raise their young called hoglets.
To provide a home for hedgehogs in your garden, you can either leave a pile of natural materials for them to construct their own nest, known as a hibernaculum, or make one for them.
The best approach is to leave out garden waste such as logs, fallen leaves, long cut grass, twigs, and trimmings from shrubs. Avoid using materials like hay, straw, or shredded newspaper, as these are less effective at keeping water out compared to leaves, which can be layered to create a waterproof structure.
Leaving a few untidy areas in your garden provides hedgehogs with ideal spots to build nests for hibernation, resting, or raising their young. Once a hedgehog has started building its nest, avoid disturbing it and ensure pets are kept away to prevent any harm.
Hedgehogs like to nest in gaps beneath sheds, compost heaps, under decking, or among shrubs and hedges, so if you don’t think you have anywhere suitable in your garden then you might like to consider providing an artificial home for them.
Although you can buy a range of hedgehog homes, it’s quite easy, and more fun, to build your own.
A hedgehog home needs to consist of two parts – the main chamber for nesting that is insulated from both cold and heat, and a smaller entrance corridor to prevent dogs, cats, foxes, badgers, and other predators from accessing it.
15mm boards of FSC untreated timber. Larch, Douglas-fir, birch, and red cedar grown in the UK are ideal.
Tape measure
Saw
Hammer
Screwdriver
Galvanised nails and screws
Drill
Sandpaper
Duct tape
Short length of hosepipe or drainpipe
1. Begin by cutting all the pieces of wood according to the plan provided below.
2. Drill a small hole in the back of the box to fit the ventilation pipe.
3. Assemble the box by nailing all the pieces together, except for the roof. Ensure no nails are protruding and sand down any splinters or sharp edges for safety.
4. Line the bottom of the box with a layer of small, dry leaves such as oak, hawthorn, or hazel.
5. Attach the roof with screws, allowing it to be easily removed for future cleaning.
6. Secure the ventilation pipe into the hole at the back of the box using duct tape.
Once you’ve completed your hedgehog box, the next step is to find a suitable location for it. Choose a quiet, shade spot where it won’t be disturbed, and ensure the entrance doesn’t face into the wind. Tuck the box under a dense shrub or behind a garden structure, making sure the entrance and air pipe remain clear of debris.
If you’d like to monitor your hedgehog home without causing any disturbance, consider setting up a trail camera.
Cleaning your hedgehog home
To maintain the box, it’s important to clean it out annually. The best time for this is in late September or early October, after the hoglets have been weaned but before hibernation preparations begin. Unscrew the lid, remove the nest, and sweep out any loose material.
Use boiling water and a stiff brush to thoroughly scrub the inside of the box, removing parasites and bacteria. Avoid household cleaning products, as they can be toxic to hedgehogs. A vet-approved cleaner designed for rabbit hutches is a safe option.
Allow the box to dry completely in a warm place. Once dry, place a pile of leaves inside and securely screw the lid back on.
In the wild, hedgehogs primarily feed on worms, slugs, snails, caterpillars, and various insects, including bees, wasps, beetles, grasshoppers, and earwigs.
The best way to support hedgehogs in your garden is by encouraging their natural food sources to thrive:
Worms: Earthworms prefer soil rich in organic matter. Keep your soil mulched and add peat-free compost or vegetable peelings to create a worm-friendly environment.
Creepy crawlies: Provide shelter for insects by leaving a pile of logs, maintaining a compost heap, or installing a bug hotel.
Bees and caterpillars: Grow pollinator-friendly plants such as native wildflowers, lavender, and buddleia
Minimise the use of pesticides in your garden. By attracting hedgehogs, you’ll have a natural pest controller working for you!
At certain times of the year, such as during breeding season, dry summer periods, or colder months, hedgehogs may struggle to find enough natural food. During these times, supplementary feeding can be a great help. Choose hedgehog food from a reputable supplier, focusing on options with a high meat content to replicate the protein found in their natural diet.
You can also offer wet, meat-based cat or dog food, or dry cat and kitten food. Keep in mind that these should only serve as supplementary food, and always provide fresh water alongside it.
Avoid feeding hedgehogs bread and milk. Bread offers little nutritional value, and hedgehogs are lactose intolerant, making milk harmful to them.
Place the food in a shallow bowl at around sunset. If you have multiple hedgehogs visiting, consider putting out several bowls to reduce aggression. Ensure the food is placed away from their hedgehog house, as hedgehogs prefer not to eat and sleep in the same area.
Unfortunately, hedgehog food can attract unwanted visitors like foxes and rats. To prevent this, consider using a hedgehog feeding station. These are similar to hedgehog houses but include a feeding chamber with a small entrance hole designed to keep other animals out.
Feeding mealworms to hedgehogs might seem like an obvious choice, as hedgehogs naturally eat worms and other small invertebrates in the wild. However, mealworms are high in phosphorus and low in calcium. This imbalance causes the hedgehog’s body to draw calcium from its bones into the bloodstream to compensate, which can result in a condition called Metabolic Bone Disease, a life-threatening condition.
Symptoms of Metabolic Bone Disease include weakened bones, joint abnormalities, and impaired nerve function, which can lead to heart tremors, loss of blood clotting, seizures, paralysis, and even cardiac arrest.
While it may seem harmless to offer a small amount of mealworms, it’s important to remember that hedgehogs can travel up to two miles each night, visiting multiple gardens in search of food. You have no way of knowing what others might be feeding them, so even small amounts of mealworms in different gardens can combine to create a dangerously high phosphorus intake.
Other foods with a similarly poor calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, such as peanuts, sunflower hearts, and raw chicken, should also be avoided. These items can contribute to the same harmful effects on a hedgehog’s health. Stick to safe, balanced options to help protect our prickly visitors.
