Encouraging hedgehogs to your garden
Hedgehog boxes offer protection to hibernating hedgehogs and encourage any local hedgehogs to become resident, supposing of course at least one does pay a visit to your garden. They are fairly easy to make and guidelines can be found here. Alternatively, contact us at NatureSpace and we can provide one for you. Designs that incorporate hedgehog boxes into the base of a compost bin are a great idea.
Besides a hedgehog box you need to be sure hedgehogs can move freely between your garden and neighbouring spaces. This is called a nature corridor. Needless to say the more organic your garden the better. Certainly no slug pellets. All the usual nature friendly garden qualities apply: Compost heaps, hedging, wild patches of garden, leaf and log piles and a pond with gently sloping sides all go toward providing food and shelter for hedgehogs, and will make your garden a place a hedgehog will be more likely to visit and perhaps stay. And now is a good time of year to put a hedgehog box out there so it gets noticed before an alternative hibernation spot is selected.
Locate your hedgehog box in a sheltered position (especially make sure the entrance is not exposed to cold northerlies) near to likely hedgehog routes and cover with a log pile or earth and leaves ensuring adequate ventilation.
