In 2020, Hedgehogs were put on the IUCN Red List as vulnerable to extinction in Great Britain, with only an estimated 879,000 living in the UK. So, Eco Warriors want everyone at Warden Hill to help these secretive spikey friends.
Do you have Hedgehogs living in your garden? Here are some signs to look out for:
- Their droppings look like small brown slug shaped, shiny and black bullet shaped about an inch long
- Tunnels in flower beds
- Hear snuffling noises in the dark
How to help hedgehogs in your garden:
- Leave a bowl of water and food out. In the wild, they like to chomp on insects, eggs, snails and larger prey like small mice frogs and snakes, which make them a gardener’s friend. You can feed them meaty cat or dog food, as long as it does not contain fish. Also, avoid foods like milk and bread because they are lactose intolerant. They can choke on peanuts so avoid those too.
- If you have dug a hole in your garden, cover it over at night and check daily that no Hedgehogs have fallen in and are trapped. Also, if you have a pond, make sure that it has an exit ramp so Hedgehogs can get out easily to avoid drowning.
- To help Hedgehogs roam from garden to garden, put holes in the bottom of fences, which are big enough to avoid getting their spikes caught on, 13cm x 13cm. A sustainable Hedgehog population needs 900,000 m² of connected land to survive.
- You can put Hedgehog houses in your garden, which have a hole, which is big enough for a Hedgehog to enter but small enough to prevent foxes from getting in. A layer of dead dry leaves or nesting material can be put in the house, so they can hibernate from late December/Early January until late March.
- Artificial lights can deter Hedgehogs from visiting your garden, so only have lights on when you need them.
Interesting fact
Did you know that hedgehogs are the only British animal which has a spikes? They have an amazing 5000 – 7000 spikes.