Hedgehogs are active at night, when they eat slugs, snails, caterpillars, insects and other pests. Avoid using slug pellets and insecticides because these poison much of their food and can often prove fatal. Hedgehogs may be short of food during dry spells in summer, particularly later in the season when the young hedgehogs need to put on weight quickly before winter. Put out some tinned cat or dog food and water, not milk, to see them through the most critical times.
Providing nest sites helps hedgehogs to survive, especially through their hibernation from late autumn to about the end of March. Compost heaps or any undisturbed pile of dry leaves or grass clippings are likely nesting spots. Try to avoid turning or emptying a compost heap during the winter and check bonfire rubbish carefully before setting light to it.
An upturned hand washing bowl, camouflaged with twigs and leaves, quickly makes a hedgehog home. Cut a hole in the side and, for a safer entrance, lead a 3-foot (1-m) tunnel to it made of three lengths of wood 4 inches (10 cm) wide. Nail them together using two for the sides and one for the roof.
Although hedgehogs can seem like a nuisance, they are acutally beneficial in gardens, so if you spot one in yours, use these tips for taking care of them.
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Provide food and housing for hedgehogs in your garden to ensure their survival.
