About British Hedgehogs

1. Choose a sheltered spot

Under a bush or hedge is ideal. You can dig a shallow square slightly larger than 30 × 30 cm and scatter dry leaves or hay on the ground, but this step is optional.

2. Build the first layer

Arrange the bricks to form a small square or U-shaped chamber (30cm × 30cm). Leave a gap for the tunnel entrance.

3. Add two more layers

Stack the bricks to make the walls 3 layers high, remembering to offset the bricks so the structure is sturdier.

4. Create the entrance tunnel

Make a short tunnel 20–30 cm long using two bricks on their sides. Place two more bricks on top to form the tunnel roof.

5. Add the main roof

Place the paving slab or thick timber on top to cover the chamber. Put a heavy log or an extra brick on top to keep it secure.

6. Hide it well

Cover the house with dry leaves, soil or garden trimmings to keep it warm      and help it blend into the surroundings.

7. Add some bedding

Place a handful of dry leaves or hay inside. Don’t overfill – hedgehogs like to bring their own bedding.

You might see guides showing hedgehog houses made from washing-up bowls or plastic storage boxes. These are okay for short-term shelters or feeding stations, but they are not great for hibernation.

Plastic can:

• become damp inside
• grow mould
• trap condensation
• overheat during warm spells

If someone does want to use a plastic box, it needs:

• plenty of ventilation holes
• a dry, sheltered location
• an entrance tunnel
• a thick covering of leaves
• weights (bricks/logs) so foxes can’t move it

…but even with these fixes, brick, wood or logs are safer for winter sleeping.

Hedgehogs travel a long way each night – sometimes over a mile – even in winter, especially if they’ve been disturbed or need extra food. But garden fences can trap them, stopping them from finding shelter or reaching the places they need to stay safe.

A Hedgehog Highway is a simple gap that helps hedgehogs move freely between gardens. When lots of neighbours join in, it creates a safe network of little doorways that hedgehogs can wander through without getting stuck.

A Hedgehog Highway is a 13cm × 13cm (about the size of a CD case) hole made at the bottom of your garden fence or hedge, or lifting a fence to allow a similar gap. It’s just big enough for a hedgehog and small enough to keep pets safe.

If you have a long fence, you can make more than one gateway so hedgehogs always have a route through.

These little openings help hedgehogs to:

• Explore safely
• Find food and fresh water
• Reach warm, sheltered nesting spots
• Avoid roads and dangerous obstacles
• Move between gardens without getting trapped

Every little opening helps a hedgehog stay safe during the year and especially during the coldest months.

Hedgehogs need safe places to sleep, nest and find food. As well as hedgehog houses, highways and careful garden tidying, there are lots of small ways you can make life easier for them.

Here are my Top 5 kindness tips for hedgehogs.

1. Provide fresh water and safe food

A shallow dish of fresh water helps hedgehogs in every season – especially in cold or dry weather when natural puddles disappear.

If you would like to put food out, choose:

• Meaty cat or dog food (wet or dry)
• Specialist hedgehog biscuits

Please avoid milk, bread, mealworms and fish-flavoured foods. These can upset their tummies or cause health problems.

2. Avoid garden chemicals and slug pellets

Slug pellets and strong garden chemicals can harm hedgehogs, either by poisoning the slugs and insects they eat or by making them ill directly.

Wildlife-friendly alternatives include:

• Beer traps
• Copper tape around pots
• Wool pellets
• Hand-picking slugs and snails

These options protect your plants without putting hedgehogs at risk.

3. Make your garden wildlife-friendly

A perfectly tidy garden is not always the best place for wildlife. Hedgehogs love slightly messy corners where they can hide, hunt and build nests.

You can help by:

• Leaving a patch of longer grass
• Letting leaves and twigs collect in a quiet corner
• Keeping some plants and shrubs a little wild

This creates natural shelter and attracts insects, which become food for hungry hedgehogs.

4. Check before lighting bonfires or using tools

Bonfire piles, compost heaps and stacks of logs look like cosy winter bedrooms to a hedgehog. Before you light, move or strim anything, always check carefully.

• Build bonfires on the day you light them, not days ahead
• Gently lift piles with a stick or rake to make sure no one is inside
• Take extra care with strimmers and mowers around long grass, edges and under hedges

A quick check can prevent a serious injury.

5. Keep your garden safe at night

Many accidents happen after dark, when hedgehogs are out exploring.

You can make night-time safer by:

• Using softer, motion-sensor lights instead of bright floodlights
• Covering open drains
• Raising garden netting about 30 cm off the ground
• Tidying away sports nets when you have finished with them
• Keeping pets indoors at night where possible

These small changes give hedgehogs a safer journey through your garden.