Why hedgehogs need a helping hand

Hedgehogs are one of Britain’s most beloved garden visitors, but their numbers have fallen sharply in recent decades. The reasons are familiar: loss of hedgerows, tidy fences, busy roads and fewer insects. The good news is that our gardens can make a real difference. A single plot may not seem like much, but when neighbouring gardens are linked together, they become a lifeline for hedgehogs searching for food, shelter and a mate. Best of all, the changes needed are simple, inexpensive and often improve your garden for birds, frogs and pollinators at the same time.

Create a hedgehog highway through your fences

Hedgehogs roam surprisingly far in a single night, often covering a kilometre or more. Solid fences, walls and gravel boards stop them in their tracks, cutting off access to food and potential mates. The solution is a hedgehog highway: a small gap at ground level that lets them pass between gardens. A gap roughly 13 centimetres square — about the size of a CD case — is ideal. It is large enough for a hedgehog, but too small for most pets to squeeze through.

• Cut a 13cm by 13cm gap at the base of a fence panel or gate, or lift a gravel board slightly.
• If you rent or share a boundary, have a friendly word with your neighbour before making changes.
• Line the gap with a smooth piece of pipe or a couple of bricks if the cut edge is rough.
• Keep the route clear of weeds, stones and trailing netting so hedgehogs can pass easily.

Aim to connect with at least one neighbour. Two or three linked gardens quickly become a proper hedgehog corridor, giving these nocturnal wanderers room to forage safely.

Leave a wild corner for nesting and cover

Hedgehogs need somewhere to sleep during the day, hibernate in winter and raise their young in summer. A perfectly manicured garden offers little shelter. Leaving a wild corner — even a small one behind a shed or at the back of a border — can make all the difference. Piles of logs, fallen leaves and twigs mimic the hedgerow habitats they evolved to use.

• Build a log pile in a quiet, shaded spot. Hollow logs and loose bark make ideal nesting nooks.
• Leave a heap of autumn leaves undisturbed through winter. Hedgehogs often burrow into them to hibernate.
• Allow a patch of long grass to grow. It provides cover, insects and nesting material.
• Plant native shrubs such as hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, wild rose and honeysuckle. They offer dense cover and attract the beetles, caterpillars and other invertebrates hedgehogs eat.
• Let some seed heads and fallen fruit remain in autumn. They feed insects, which in turn feed hedgehogs.

If you want to give them a helping hand, a purpose-built hedgehog house placed in a dry, quiet corner and covered with leaves can provide a secure hibernation site. Resist the temptation to tidy it up — hedgehogs dislike disturbance.

Offer food and shallow water safely

Hedgehogs are insectivores, and a wildlife-friendly garden full of beetles, earthworms and caterpillars is the best possible diet. But in dry spells, late autumn or after a cold snap, supplementary food can help them build up reserves. Always put it out after dusk and remove any leftovers in the morning to avoid attracting rats, foxes or cats.

• Offer meaty cat or dog food in jelly, not fish-flavoured varieties. Chicken or turkey is ideal.
• Use specially made hedgehog biscuits as a crunchy supplement, but keep them to a small handful.
• Never give milk or bread. Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant, and milk can cause serious illness.
• Provide fresh water in a shallow dish, just 2–3cm deep. Add a few pebbles or a small ramp so hedgehogs can climb out if they fall in.
• Clean the dish and feeding area daily to prevent disease.

A shallow plant saucer sunk into the ground works well. Place it near cover, so hedgehogs feel safe while they drink and eat.

Avoid the hidden hazards

Even a well-meaning garden can contain dangers. Hedgehogs are curious and slow to react, so a few precautions save lives. Slug pellets and other pesticides are especially harmful, either directly or by poisoning the insects hedgehogs eat. Avoid them completely, and encourage natural pest control instead.

• Check long grass before strimming or mowing. A hedgehog’s instinct is to curl up, not flee.
• Move netting, fruit cages and sports nets off the ground, or store them away when not in use.
• Make ponds safe with a gently sloping edge, a ramp or a piece of chicken wire trailing into the water.
• Check bonfires before lighting. Build them on the day you burn, not days in advance.
• Keep dogs away from known hedgehog nesting spots, especially at dusk.
• Cover drains and gullies, or place a small ramp inside so hedgehogs can climb out.

Make it a year-round habit

Hedgehog-friendly gardening is not a one-off job. In spring and summer, keep water topped up and leave wild corners undisturbed. In autumn, resist clearing every leaf and leave hibernation sites alone. In winter, watch for hedgehogs out in daylight — this is unusual and often means they are unwell. If you see one, contact a local wildlife rescue for advice rather than trying to handle it yourself. With a little patience and a few small changes, your garden can become a genuine hedgehog haven — and a richer, wilder place for everyone.