In Theen Gard
Save our Hedgehogs! Did you know that hedgehogs are in serious decline in the UK? It is now estimated that there are currently less than one million hedgehogs left in the wild across England, Scotland and Wales, compared to 30 million in the 1950’s and yet it is surprisingly easy for us to help them. A few simple steps can help protect and encourage hedgehogs to once again thrive in our neighbourhoods.
GES = BIG DIFFER ENC L CHAN L A E SM Create a Hedgehog Highway by linking your gardens to your neighbours. Hedgehogs need to roam, and can cover 1 to 3 miles each night in search of food. A small 13 x 13cm (5 x 5’’) hole or gap in your wall or fence will allow a hedgehog through but will be too small for most pets. Create a wild corner in your garden to provide hedgehogs with some shelter and to encourage the insects that they need to feed on. Add a wood pile or even an insect hotel too. Make ponds, holes and drains safe. Hedgehogs are strong swimmers but need to have a shallow edge or a ramp to be able to climb out if they fall in.
Put out a shallow tray of water and some food so that they can supplement their natural diets. Meaty cat or dog food, kitten biscuits or hedgehog food are all suitable. (You could build a simple feeding station if you don’t want the local cats to eat it first!) Make a Hedgehog House for them to shelter in during the day, or even to hibernate in over the winter. Don’t use chemicals in your garden. Insecticides, pesticides and slug pellets will poison hedgehogs. Let your local hedgehogs come and eat your slugs and snails instead!
I hope that you are now able to make a few small changes in your garden which could make a big difference to our local hedgehog population. Simply linking up our gardens will provide hedgehogs with access to the habitats that they need to thrive!
Join Hedgehog Highways Dunstable on Facebook Please join the local Hedgehog Highways Dunstable Facebook group where Dunstable residents can share ideas and inspiration. We would love to see what you have done to help hedgehogs in your garden. Lots of information and advice can also be found on the excellent Hedgehog Street website, www.hedgehogstreet.org, where you can even become a Hedgehog Champion! Happy Hog watching!
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