Help the hedgehog by Daisy Meadows

I have been honoured this summer to have had hedgehogs visiting my garden and keeping the slugs, beetles and caterpillars under control and although supplying them with a hedgehog house for winter, it is still unoccupied – but I live in hope.

To encourage hedgehogs to your garden you first need to ensure that your garden is accessible as hedgehogs tend to visit several gardens within an area and in fact several individuals may visit the same garden over several nights. If a hole was made at the base of a fence in every garden, then this would provide a greater roaming pathway for the hedgehog.

Hedgehog droppings in your garden will alert you to their presence so you can leave them a saucer of cat or dog food which they will regard as a treat, as they are not reliant on it. A shallow dish of water left out all year is more beneficial to them than food, as they can get dehydrated,  especially in the summer or when they wake from hibernation.

 It is important NOT TO GIVE THEM MILK as this is harmful to them.

Of course it is preferable not to use slug pellets – and if you have visiting hedgehogs you  should not need them – but if you must, ensure the pellets are placed in a pipe or are inaccessible to hedgehogs. Dead slugs must be removed daily and other garden pesticides used sparingly to protect all wildlife.

If your garden has a pond it can be a death trap to hedgehogs and other small mammals so ensure there are escape routes around the edge for them to clamber out to safety. Also cover deep holes and drains that they might get trapped in or check regularly if open. Hedgehogs tend to hibernate between November and mid March and may choose a stack of leaves or branches in the garden so be aware when tidying up. They like to nest under sheds, hedges and brushwood and need plenty of dry leaves to build their nest so leave some wilder corners in your garden.

People assume that all hedgehogs have fleas but that is not strictly true. Hedgehog fleas are specific to hedgehogs and will not infect other animals or humans. Hedgehogs are more likely to be weakened by parasitic ticks and lungworm. If you see a hedgehog out in the daytime then there is usually something wrong with it so if you can, rescue it and seek advice.

Fortunately in Lenham we have Kevin, who is passionate about hedgehogs and these two cuties (pictured above) are currently two of his hoglets that he is caring for over winter along with the other thirty adolescents and injured hedgehogs at his home. He liaises with Medway Hedgehog Rescue and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society but funds the cost for food and medication himself. 

If you find an injured or underweight hedgehog, would like to help Kevin or donate food or newspapers then please contact him on 07932 383552.

Hedgehog help: create hedgehog pathways, provide water, reduce pesticides