{"id":16546,"date":"2022-05-05T08:00:34","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T06:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=44388"},"modified":"2022-05-05T08:32:21","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T06:32:21","slug":"best-hedgehog-houses-for-your-wildlife-garden","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/best-hedgehog-houses-for-your-wildlife-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"Best hedgehog houses for your wildlife garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Megan Shersby\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 05 May 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The hedgehog<\/a> is a cherished species in the UK, with its prickly spines and sweet little nose. However, numbers have declined and in 2022, they were classified as vulnerable to extinction in the UK.<\/p>\n

A report in February 2022<\/a>, published by\u00a0the People\u2019s Trust for Endangered Species<\/a> (PTES) and The British Hedgehog Preservation Society<\/a>\u00a0(BHPS), showed that numbers had plummeted by between 30% and 75% across the rural landscape, with the worst declines in the East Midlands and East of England regions. In contrast, hedgehog numbers seem to have stabilised in urban areas, and may even be recovering.<\/p>\n

Gardeners can help hedgehogs by providing food and shelter, and putting holes in fences (and encouraging others on their street to do so too).<\/p>\n

For more wildlife gardening advice, check out our wildlife gardening hub<\/a> which includes a wide variety of articles, such as how to make a bee hotel<\/a>, the best wildlife gardening books<\/a> and our garden bird nestbox guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What is a hedgehog house?<\/h2>\n

A hedgehog house is an artificial structure put into a garden to encourage hedgehogs to shelter or hibernate in, and perhaps even to have a female make her nest in. A house is normally designed so that it is insulated and can be used during winter, and ventilated during summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cHedgehogs are in decline, so we need to do all we can to help them in our gardens and green spaces. Offering a hedgehog home or natural shelter in the form of an undisturbed log pile are good ways to welcome them in, making sure they have a safe spot to sleep. Offering meaty cat or dog food and water for them is great too.\u201d Fay Vass, chief executive of the BHPS.<\/p>\n

Houses can be checked for cleaning and maintenance, but the general advice is to only do it once a year \u2013 and obviously not if you know it\u2019s currently in use.<\/p>\n

Hedgehogs will make their own nests, known as hibernacula, if there are appropriate materials around and suitable places to do so.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
A European hedgehog in early spring. \u00a9 Getty<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

How to make a hedgehog house<\/h2>\n

Hedgehog houses can be made from scratch<\/a> from timber. The BHPS recommends that if you want to use treated wood, only water based preservatives can be used, and \u201con no account should the hedgehog house be creosoted or treated with non-water based preservatives as the fumes remain for a long time and can be very harmful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The roof should be removable so that you are able to clean it out when it is not in use (or if you are rehabilitating hedgehogs and need to check on them), and the entrance and\/or tunnel should be narrow so that predators cannot gain access.<\/p>\n

Where to place a hedgehog house:<\/h2>\n

Hedgehog houses should be placed in a quiet, sheltered and shady spot, out of the prevailing wind (and not facing North or North East), and ideally under shrubs where hedgehog will not be disturbed. It can be camouflaged with leaves and brushwood. Short lengths of dry grass and leaves can be placed inside as nesting material.<\/p>\n

Hedgehog conservationist and author Hugh Warwick on hedgehog houses:<\/p>\n

One of the citizen science projects that the Hedgehog Street<\/a> campaign undertook was the Hedgehog Housing Census. I was sceptical as to the value of these structures \u2013 not helped by being shown hedgehogs ignoring them and creating nests against the lovingly built or bought houses! But I was wrong. The survey showed that hedgehogs really do use them, both bought and built; with a preference for built.<\/p>\n

It can take a while for hedgehogs to start using nestboxes, so don\u2019t be downhearted if you install one and it\u2019s not immediately occupied. They are used more often in back gardens and in sheltered spots. Providing food (in the garden, not in the house) and bedding, increases the chances of them being used.<\/p>\n

More on hedgehogs:<\/h4>\n