Hedgehogs crippled by food ‘treat’ in gardens

HEDGEHOGS are suffering crippling bone disease because of a common treat we leave out for them in gardens.

Britain’s national hedgehog charity has now asked people not to feed the animals mealworms.

They had previously been on the list of recommended foods.

But it is thought the high phosphate levels in the worms deplete hedgehogs of calcium, weakening their bones and leaving them struggling to walk.

While more evidence is needed, wildlife rescuers say the hedgehogs brought in with metabolic bone disease most often eat in gardens where well-meaning families have left mealworms out in bowls as treats.

Instead, they advise householders to provide meaty cat or dog food, cat biscuits or specialist hedgehog food. Fay Vass, chief executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, said: ‘The latest thinking is that too many mealworms can cause problems because they do not offer much nutrition.

‘Hedgehogs picking up a few mealworms that drop from the bird table is not a concern, but offering bowls of them as food is best avoided.

‘At this time of year hedgehogs are busy building up fat reserves to see them through hibernation, so offering plenty of the right food could be a lifesaver.’

Experts also advised against feeding hedgehogs peanuts, sunflower hearts, raisins, milk and even sugary sultanas.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society has launched a ‘housing census’ on where people place shelters for hedgehogs and which designs are most used.

The survey can be found at: www.hedgehogstreet.org

‘Best avoided’