Bonfires

Bonfires The leaves are falling now, making a colourful, leafy carpet in our gardens. It is tempting to tidy up and sweep them into a pile for an autumn bonfire. This is fine so long as it’s done carefully. Little creatures such as hedgehogs will be making nests in them, keeping warm on the cold autumn nights and preparing to hibernate. They especially like the leafy piles you’ve made in the garden in preparation for a bonfire.

If you are planning to make a bonfire, prepare it the day of the fire so to minimise the chance of a creature making it their home for a few days before. Better still, make your pile of material next to the bonfire site and re-build the stack before lighting it.

Before you light the fire lots of smoke will be produced, this can make them sleepy and less likely to evacuate the burning pile and will die in the fire. Not a good way to go.

If you have a lot to burn and it takes a few days to assemble, make sure you check around the base, carefully poke a long stick into the leaves and debris around the base of the pile to awaken any sleepy little creatures and give them the chance to move out before you light it.

Hedgehogs have recently joined the red squirrel and bottlenose dolphin on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan list of species in need of conservation and greater protection, so the more careful we are about our bonfires the better it will be for them.

I have been emailed by a reader whose new six month old puppy is approaching its first firework night, she is asking for some advice on how to keep him safe and calm.

My advice is to act normally, as far as he is concerned there is nothing to worry about, the more worked up you get, he will too. At this stage in his life he’s unlikely to have any phobias or significant fears. Walk him before dark but if he does need out after dark, take him on the lead and make the walk as short as possible. Give him somewhere to hide in the house if he wants to, close the curtains, turn on the telly or radio and keep him company.

Please email your questions to laura.mckirdy@paragonvet.com or visit us on facebook (facebook.com/paragonvets.pets). I look forward to hearing from you.