It’s Hedgehog Awareness Week and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society are asking people to ‘Think Hedgehog!’ in a bid to help our spiky friends. The charity is dedicated to helping and protecting hedgehogs native to the UK by raising awareness and taking practical steps to reverse the decline of hedgehogs in the wild.
Here at Lawntech, we’re big supporters of hedgehogs as they earn their place on the team by eating many of the pests which bring chaos to our lawns, and gardens in general. The BHPS’ website is host to plenty of useful information that give an insight into the safeguarding and welfare of our fuzzy friends.
Think like a hedgehog
This year, the charity is asking us to think like a hedgehog when we look at our garden or greenspace. Consider how helpful that environment is or does the area pose any risk to you if you were a hedgehog? When we understand what’s useful or potentially dangerous to a hedgehog, we can make important changes that can help hedgehogs in their natural habitats.
Provide a shallow dish of meaty cat or dog food in your garden as a food source for hedgehogs.
Hedghehog-friendly Garden
Our gardens can be a vital resource for hedgehogs, and there are many ways that we can make our outdoor space welcoming with a variety of hog-friendly features.
Create a hedgehog highway
No single garden is large enough for a hedgehog population and no single garden can offer everything a hedgehog needs. Think of you garden as part of a local network and create a hedgehog highway. Making a gap either side of your garden in the bottom of boundary walls and fences, allows hedgehogs to wander from neighbour to neighbour in search of vital food sources.
Set up a hedgehog feeding station
A sheltered hedgehog feeding station with access to a shallow dish of water and meaty dog or cat food, will provide hedgehogs the hydration and food source they seek whilst also keeping the food (and hedgehog) dry when it is raining.
Reminder: Never feed hedgehogs milk or bread. They can’t digest them, and it upsets their stomachs.
Remember to check any leaf or log piles before raking or turning them and check any bonfires before they are lit as these provide perfect habitats for our spiky friends.
Create a wild corner to welcome hedgehogs
Select a corner of your garden to establish an overgrown wild area with native or non-native planting and leave the corner to grow untrimmed and undisturbed to allow hedgehogs to shelter. Log piles can also be added to provide a safe and secure site for breeding or hibernating. Leaf piles can be used as a potential nesting site or bedding material for hedgehog homes.
Reminder: Always be careful when tidying leaves and lighting bonfire piles as you may have a hog in residence!
Make a hedgehog house
Provide safe and secure shelter with a hedgehog house in your garden. This can be simple using natural materials from your home and garden. An old box such as a wine crate, wood for a tunnel, and some dry/dead leaves will keep any passing hedgehog nice and cosy. Place your hedgehog house in a quiet corner and cover with leaves and logs to make it look as natural as possible.
For more ideas visit; https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/hedgehog-homes/
Make a hedgehog house with shelter and a food source to provide a safe haven for hedgehogs to rest.
Start thinking about your garden
Gardens are a stronghold for hedgehogs and you can make their lives much easier with very little effort. This week is a great opportunity to start thinking about your garden and the little things you can introduce to welcome our wonderful wildlife.
More information can be found on our website https://www.lawn-tech.co.uk/lawn-care-guide/wildlife/how-can-i-help-hedgehogs/
