Help Save England’s Endangered Prickly Hedgehogs

Caroline Smith

Hedgehogs are one of England’s three hibernating mammals, and very endangered due to lack of natural habitat – the clue’s in the name – hedge-hog’). These curious creatures will investigate litter and if there are not enough garden highways to travel around at night, they end up in urban areas like roads.

Hedges are better than solid fences. It’s not always practical (choose non-toxic versions for pets (holly is unsafe) and livestock (yew is toxic to horses and livestock). But in the wild, hedges are better as it’s easier for wildlife to shelter.

So here are simple tips that we can all collectively do, to make England a safe place for our prickly night-time friends! And how to help if you see a hedgehog needing assistance.

Did you know that male hedgehogs scarper after mating, and are never seen again? Sounds like some men!

General tips to help hedgehogs

Don’t drop litter. Typical hazards are bin bags, plant pots, barbed wire and tin cans (rinse to remove meaty smells and pop lids inside or pop ring-pulls back holes and pinch shut, before recycling). Also rip up plastic beer can holders and securely dispose if you see them, and campaign for Royal Mail to stop using rubber bands (these trap claws, and birds also feed them to chicks, thinking they are worms).

Cover open drains. Hedgehogs often fall down them. Tiggywinkles says if this happens, the only solution is to gently (but firmly) clamp two pairs of pliers to lift them out (take to wildlife rescue, to check for chemical burns or injury).

Avoid bonfires. Hedgehogs sometimes hibernate in wood piles, so if you do light one, build just before lighting, or move the pile just before lighting (a metre or two away, to give snoozing hogs chance to escape).

Before lighting, gently prod with a broom handle and torch. If you find a hog, wear gloves (fleas do not  transfer to other creatures but their spikes could tickle) and move to a nearby sheltered spot.

Once you are certain the bonfire is free from creatures, light from one side only, so any creatures missed have chance to escape. But ideally don’t light bonfires at all, the only failsafe.

How to help hedgehogs in gardens

Julia Crossland

If you live with dogs, it’s good not to encourage hedgehogs, as they are natural predators. Instead, campaign for more hedgerows, so hedgehogs have wild space to feed, breed, shelter and hibernate.

• Choose no-dig organic gardening, to help all wildlife. You can recycle empty chemical containers at kerbside bins. For products still inside, take to hazardous waste (don’t pour down drains).
• Leave your garden corners a little messy. Hogs love leaf litter and old log piles, as it gives them shelter and hibernation spaces.
• Choose nontoxic humane slug and snail deterrents (not slug pellets, again dispose of at hazardous waste – even ‘pet-friendly ones’ can harm pets and wildlife). If you garden organically, creatures will eat slugs anyway. Don’t let dogs eat slugs/snails, lungworm is a medical emergency. Read more on pet-friendly gardens.
• Ensure sloping sides for wildlife ponds. Also put out shallow (non-glazed) bowls, with large stones as landing pads for smaller creatures.
• Swap strimmers for garden shears. Avoids injuries to sleeping wildlife (or sweep through long grass with a broom handle first). Same with mowing (never use robotic mowers as slow-moving wildlife can’t escape in time).
• Fruit tree protectors over netting are best (remove during pollination, so bees can create food and flowers). See the post for info on how to safely dispose of plastic netting (buy fresh produce loose to avoid onion/citrus netting). And stow away rotary washing lines and football nets, when not in use.
• If painting fences, sheds or garden furniture, use nontoxic wood stain. Creosote is now banned for sale (for domestic use), but many fence stains contain dangerous chemicals.

Avoid disturbing hibernating hedgehogs

Julia Crossland

Hedgehogs typically hibernate from November to March (don’t disturb them). They will find places with logs and leaf piles, and like compost heaps. So don’t fork them (or lift gently beforehand to check for hogs and frogs).

If planning to knock down a shed or outbuilding, check first for nesting hedgehogs. Lift the floor carefully and do not disturb nests. Check hoglets have left home (at least 8 weeks after birth, from spring to July). Postpone work for at least a month, until you are sure hogs have left. 

Create hedgehog highways 

As hedgehogs have lost natural habitats, they need ‘highways’ to roam up to 2 miles each night, between gardens. You can cut little holes (13cm by 13cm – around the size of a CD) to let hogs travel around).

If  concerned about prey pets (rabbits, guinea pigs, small escape dogs), then cover holes during the day, when hogs are asleep anyway.

• The Hedgehog Highway is easy to install, built by experts with profits helping hedgehog charities. Made from recycled plastic.
• Seedball offers a steel framed hedgehog highway that requires adult help to set up, includes instructions (the steel will naturally age and rust with exposure).

Check for overgrown plants and debris regularly.

Quality hedgehog homes

If you provide natural shelter, it’s likely hedgehogs can find good homes of their own. If not, then consider a quality hedgehog house for shelter an hibernation made from FSC-wood without toxic paint.

Hedgehog houses should be covered with 1 to 2 feet of dry leaves, twigs and straw for insulation, camouflage and protection against wind and rain.

Hogilo is the choice of British Hedgehog Preservation Society. The swivel lid allows easy cleaning, and there’s an overhanging roof and porch to protect against rain (raised feet prevents rot). The small entrance tunnel leads to a porch.

For rescuers, choose wooden hedgehog homes (where roofs can be opened for checking – not ones with open bottoms). 

The Hedgehog Barn is made from FSC-certified timber with an extending porch to prevent access by predators, the opening rear hatch makes it easier to clean.

The hedgehog nest box  has been designed with experts, with a tunnel access for tubby hedgehogs! And a raised step at the entrance, to let it be partly buried. The nesting area is well away from the tunnel entrance and the lower roof enables hedgehogs to build a snug nest.

There is also in-built ventilation to provide the right temperature and humidity without draughts, a removable roof for easy cleaning and underfloor runners to let air to the underside.

If you accidentally uncovering a nesting hog, replace the bedding and leave well alone.

An easy way to check if a hedgehog house is still in use, is to place a small stick or flower head in the entrance for a few nights (that needs to be pushed aside, to enter or exit). 

To clean an empty hedgehog house, remove old bedding, clean with boiling water, then air-dry . Don’t worry about fleas (they are not transferrable to other species). Never use dog/cat flea powder in hedgehog houses (or on hedgehogs).

How to keep hedgehogs safer near roads

• When you drive, keep to speed limits and be alert at dawn and dusk especially.  Use full beam at night (dipped lights are best in fog, rain or snow, or else light could reflect back and startle).
• Keep lights, brakes and windscreens in good condition. Use a car trash bag to avoid dropping litter out the window. This stops scavengers (and animals that scavenge on dead animals).
• Councils can install wildlife reflectors that fit along verges and send headlights sideways into undergrowth). . This sudden flash can scare wildlife back from the roadside. They are quick and cheap to fit  (also invest in wildlife crossings).

Help injured or orphaned hedgehogs

Hedgehogs are nocturnal. So if you see one during the day, usually there is something wrong. Use gardening gloves to pick it up, place in a high-sided box with a towel (no tassels), and keep it warm (if using a hot water bottle, ensure it’s not too hot and wrap it in a towel to avoid scalds or overheating).

• Follow first aid advice here. Never leave out bread and milk for hedgehogs, as these can harm.
• Contact British Hedgehog Conservation Charity (01584 890801) for advice over the phone, they can direct you to local wildlife rescuers (or a vet at no charge to you).

Help British Hedgehog Preservation Society

To continue the great work done by our hedgehog heroes, you can help:

• Buy envelope reuse stickers which save trees and promotes the cause to recipients of letters and parcels.
• Sign up as your cause at easyfundraising. Then any time you shop at one of over 4000 stores (including Amazon, Argos and even Booking.com or train tickets), a portion of the sale is donated to them, at no cost to you (loyalty points are not affected).
• Also support local hedgehog rescue charities. And sign up to the National Monitoring Programme.
• Hornbeam Wood Hedgehog Sanctuary has  a GoFundMe page to raise money for essential hospital work; you can also raise funds by donating anonymously or again signing up to easyfundraising.

Lovely little books to help hedgehogs

RSPB Pocket Guide of Hedgehogs is a charming gift book with delightful line illustrations, to learn everything about our prickly friends. The author is an an expert on hedgehog biology and conservation.

• I Heart Hedgehogs is a delightful gift book, with simple paragraph tips to help hogs, from log piles to leaf litter to building hedgehog highways.
• The Hedgehog Handbook is a guide for anyone with a penchant for prickles! The author explores hedgehog eating and sleeping habits, and how to preserve this icon of rural life.
• A Handful of Happiness is the story of a depressed vet, who begins a friendship with an orphaned hoglet that he’s asked to foster. And inspired by Ninna’s will to live (after releasing her to the wild after her first hibernation), he sets up a wildlife sanctuary!