Hedgehogs are welcome garden visitors, helping control slugs, snails, caterpillars and other pests. But gardens can be perilous places for them.
A bonfire is a very attractive nesting or hibernation site for a hedgehog. Hedgehogs will be attracted to them at any time of year, so it’s best to be careful if you plan to burn yours. Nesting hedgehogs are very difficult to find – far better to rebuild the pyre on the day of burning and you’ll ensure no animals are trapped inside.​
Garden netting and goal nets can entangle hedgehogs and other wildlife. Securely fasten all netting 15cm above the ground so they can pass safely beneath.
Dog bites are one of the most frequent and unnecessary injuries that we see at the rescue. To avoid them, when you let your dog out after dark either accompany it, keep it on a lead or muzzle it.
Slug pellets are toxic and may be very damaging to hedgehogs. In a healthy garden, natural populations of wild animals will keep levels of slugs and snails down, along with other insect pests, making chemicals unnecessary.
Check before strimming ​ Please be careful when using any cutting equipment in your garden. ​ Strimmers are particularly dangerous as these can wound or kill hedgehogs hiding or nesting in long vegetation. Unlike other animals, they will not run away they hear the noise of machinery.​ ​Before undertaking the work, check in long patches of grass, along rough edges and under hedges. If you do discover a hedgehog, either postpone your work or carefully move it (using thick gloves!) to a safer place in the garden.​
A pond is one of the absolutely top features for attracting wildlife into your garden. It will provide feeding opportunities for hedgehogs and a vital water supply during dry spells.​ Hedgehogs can drown in steep-sided ponds or pools. Ensure you make yours safe by building a pebble beach or using a piece of chicken wire draped over the side. If you are planning a new pond, try to ensure it has gently sloping sides to allow hedgehogs to climb out.
Check compost heaps and piles of leaves etc before digging - there may be a hedgehog nesting. Carefully turn compost heaps with a spade.
Ensure drains are safely covered. Hedgehogs are rather prone to getting stuck down holes!
