Encouraging Hedgehogs into a Suburban Garden

Why Hedgehogs Need a Hand in the Suburbs

Hedgehogs are among the most welcome visitors a British garden can have, and they are also among the most vulnerable. Numbers have fallen steeply over recent decades, and the reasons are largely domestic: tidy gardens, sealed fences, paving, and the loss of the scruffy corners that once provided nesting sites and insect food. The good news is that a suburban plot — even a small one — can make a genuine difference. Hedgehogs will travel roughly a mile in a single night, and they need to move between gardens to find food, mates and shelter. If enough neighbours each leave one small gap, the whole street becomes a habitat rather than a series of walled-off islands.

You do not need a wild meadow or a half-acre. A few deliberate, low-effort changes will do far more than a large garden left sterile.

Create a Hedgehog Highway Through Your Fence

The single most useful thing you can do is cut a hole. A gap roughly 13cm (5 inches) square at ground level is enough for a hedgehog to pass through comfortably, and too small for most pets to exploit. If you have gravel boards at the base of a fence, lifting one brick or cutting a notch with a jigsaw takes ten minutes. For brick walls, remove one or two bricks in a low course; for hedges, simply leave a gap rather than weaving in the bottom branches.

Talk to your neighbours about doing the same in line with yours. A connected route along the backs of several gardens gives hedgehogs a proper corridor. If you can, mark the gap discreetly so it does not get blocked by future planting or a pile of compost bags.

• Size: about 13cm square, at ground level, with nothing sharp left on the cut edges.
• Placement: line gaps up between adjacent gardens where possible.
• Keep it clear: check monthly for leaves, rubble and overgrown grass that quietly seals it shut.

Water, Food and What to Avoid

A shallow dish of fresh water is a lifeline, especially during dry spells and hot summers. Use something with gently sloping sides and a depth of no more than 4–5cm, so a hedgehog can drink without risk of falling in. Sink it slightly into the soil or place it beside a favourite route and top it up daily. Never leave milk out — hedgehogs are lactose intolerant and it causes serious digestive problems.

If you want to offer food, use meat-based cat or dog food in jelly (not gravy), or a proprietary hedgehog food. Dried mealworms should only ever be a small occasional treat, as they are low in calcium and can cause bone problems if fed heavily. A little chopped, unsalted nut-free food is fine in modest amounts.

Above all, stop using slug pellets. Metaldehyde and ferric phosphate pellets both harm hedgehogs, either directly or through the slugs and snails they eat. Encourage natural pest control instead: a pond, log pile and dense planting will bring in frogs, birds and beetles that do the job for you. If slugs are a real problem around young plants, use beer traps, copper tape or hand-picking at dusk.

Build a Leaf Pile They Will Actually Use

Hedgehogs hibernate between roughly November and March, and they need a dry, insulated, undisturbed spot to do it. In a small garden, a purpose-built pile is often the answer. Choose a quiet corner, ideally against a wall or fence, and stack a mix of materials: dry leaves, small twigs, moss, and a little long grass. Aim for a mound about 60–90cm high and at least a metre across at the base. If you want something tidier, build a simple frame from untreated timber, or buy or make a hedgehog house and cover it with leaves and bark chippings.

• Leave it alone from October to April — a well-meant tidy-up in January can disturb a hibernating animal.
• Keep it dry: raise the base slightly or place it on a couple of bricks so it does not sit in puddles.
• Nesting season: hedgehogs also use these piles in summer to raise hoglets, so leave at least one scruffy corner all year.

Tackle the Everyday Hazards

Even a friendly garden can hold dangers. Check for these before the season starts.

• Ponds: always provide a gently sloping escape route — a ramp of stones, a piece of log or a shallow beach area. Hedgehogs swim well but drown when they cannot climb out.
• Netting: raise fruit netting at least 30cm off the ground so hedgehogs pass underneath rather than becoming tangled. Store sports and pond netting away when not in use.
• Strimmers: check long grass and log piles before cutting. A quick glance takes seconds and saves lives.
• Drains and holes: cover deep, open holes with mesh and check drains for trapped animals.
• Bonfires: build them on the day you plan to burn, or move the pile before lighting.

Small Changes, Big Difference

You do not need to convert your entire garden. A 13cm gap in the fence, a dish of water, a corner left deliberately untidy and a ban on slug pellets together make a home that hedgehogs can use safely. Encourage a neighbour or two to join in and the effect multiplies across the whole terrace. If you see a hedgehog out in daylight, looking unsteady, or with obvious wounds or flies around it, contact a local wildlife rescue for advice — day-time activity is often a sign that something is wrong. Otherwise, leave them in peace, keep the water topped up, and enjoy the quiet company of one of Britain's best-loved garden residents.