Hedgehog-friendly gardening

Despite being one of Britain’s best-loved mammals, hedgehogs are in alarming decline and need our help. Nearly half of the UK population has been lost in just 13 years. Previously a widespread garden visitor, this nocturnal

A native plant is one that originated or arrived naturally in a particular place without human involvement. In the British Isles, native plants are those that were here during the last ice age or have arrived unaided since.

Invertebrates are animals that don't have a backbone. Common garden invertebrates, or minibeasts, include insects, spiders, worms, slugs, snails, woodlice and centipedes. They play important roles in a garden ecosystem, including breaking down organic matter, pollinating flowers and providing food for other animals.

invertebrate

• Are there hedgehogs in my area? View interactive map

To make your garden hedgehog-friendly, the first step is to remove any hazards and ensure tasks such as strimming are carried out in a hedgehog-aware way. Once you have a safe environment, there are several ways you can attract hedgehogs into your garden to support and enjoy these adorable mammals.

How to make your garden safe for hedgehogs

1. Always check before strimming

Always check the whole area carefully before strimming, and cut long grass with care. Strimmers are one of the biggest causes of fatal or severely injuring hedgehog accidents, so even if you haven’t noticed hedgehogs in your garden, always check thoroughly before cutting long grass. Be aware that this habitat can also be full of other creatures such as amphibians and smaller mammals.

If you have a robotic mower, check with the manufacturer that it has good safety precautions for preventing injury to hedgehogs. Find out more

Hedgehogs also like to take refuge in

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.

Tens of thousands of hedgehogs suffer strimmer-related accidents and fatalities every year

2. Make water safe 

While hedgehogs are good swimmers, they will tire if they can’t find an escape. Fix a wildlife ramp into any steep-sided garden ponds so that hedgehogs can clamber to safety if they fall in. Also cover any drains with lids, and fit any steep-sided holes with a ramp to prevent these short-legged mammals from falling into a trap. 

• How to make a wildlife pond

3. Be bonfire aware

A bonfire pile seems like a five star hotel for a hibernating hedgehog, as well as attracting other wildlife such as frogs and newts. There are many more environmentally friendly ways of repurposing garden waste, including making habitat piles and dead hedges, which themselves are fantastic habitat for hedgehogs. Why not use your material to create a permanent safe home for them instead?

However, if you do decide to have a bonfire, wait until just before lighting to make the bonfire pile, or deconstruct, move and reconstruct the pile prior to lighting, checking through carefully for any sleepy hedgehogs. Then light from just one corner to give any remaining small wildlife an escape route.

Keen to find the cosiest spot, hedgehogs will gravitate towards the centre of the pile at the base. Once the pile is lit, smoke quickly disorientates a sleepy hedgehog and hides the way out, preventing its escape. To make matters worse, a hedgehog’s danger response is not to flee but to curl up into a ball – so it’s crucial to ensure you’ve combed through all the material before you light.

Speak to local Bonfire Night event organisers to make sure they’re doing the same.

© Cate Barrow

Hedgehogs find quiet spots to hibernate from October or November through to March or April

4. Remove hazards

Do a litter loop of your garden, removing any potential hazards that can entangle or ensnare hedgehogs and other wildlife. Loose plastic netting, old plastic compost bags and bailer

Twine is a soft, fine loosely woven string treated with preservatives for outdoor use. Used for tying in climbers and other plants to supports.

5. Avoid slug pellets

Dig around in the back of the garage or shed to make sure you don’t have any old metadehyde-based slug pellets lurking there. These are now banned due to their high toxicity to wildlife, so must be disposed of safely at your nearest recycling centre.

Slugs and snails have many benefits in the garden, so it’s best to tolerate a level of damage by the minority species that do feed on live plants. Though not a mainstream food source, they may sometimes be consumed by hedgehogs if there is little else available. In this event, any toxicity from slug pellets present in the slugs or snails would be passed on.

• Managing slugs and snails

How to attract hedgehogs into your garden

1. Make a hedgehog highway

© Christopher Morgan

2. Provide water

3. Leave some habitat

Build a pile of logs, twigs or leaves to create a larder of juicy grubs and beetles, the perfect menu items for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are also more likely to be found in gardens that have compost heaps.

Plant hedges in place of fences to provide cover for hedgehogs and other animals who can shelter underneath. Hedgehog – it’s in the name!

Promoting a diversity of plants, particularly British natives such as hawthorn, blackthorn, dog rose and honeysuckle, not only benefits wider

The variety of living organisms (plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms) in a particular environment. Boosting the biodiversity of your garden has many benefits, including supporting wildlife, improving soil health and reducing the likelihood of pest and disease problems.

• Plant a mixed native hedge for wildlife