How gardeners can help our hedgehogs

They are among our most popular garden visitors – yet the hedgehog population is estimated to have halved in less than 20 years. Climate change has brought about long, hot summers, which can pose a threat to these prickly mammals.

“Hedgehogs largely eat invertebrates – among their favourites are worms and beetles,” explains conservation research scientist Dr Tom Moorhouse. “In long, hot summers when it’s dry, the invertebrates tend not to be near the surface, so the amount of worms available in both gardens and agricultural areas massively declines. Hedgehogs and insectivorous birds start running out of food.”

BADGER PROBLEMS

“Badgers are not only competing for the same food that the hedgehogs want, they are also big and strong enough to eat hedgehogs,” says Moorhouse. “In long, hot summers, the predators that hedgehogs have are more likely to be desperate enough to take them on. That counts for foxes as well. Even if they don’t manage to get hold of a hedgehog, the hedgehogs are going to be forced to flee more often, using up more energy and [making them] unable to forage as much.”

PESTS AND DISEASES

When hedgehogs are in a weakened state, they become more susceptible to pests and diseases, warns Fay Vass, chief executive of The British Hedgehog Preservation Society: “Parasites thrive on creatures which aren’t doing so well.”

FOOD AND WATER ARE KEY

“Leave out food, water and leave it be, unless it’s clearly at death’s door. You can buy bespoke hedgehog food from supermarket, or any good quality cat food or dog food will do the job,” advises Moorhouse. Vass urges gardeners to give hedgehogs the best start as they come out of hibernation by putting out food and water to help build up their fat reserves, which will give them a better chance of surviving any period of famine.

“If we have another scorching summer, they will be very thirsty and you have to think, where are they going to get water from?” asks Moorhouse. “If they’re in urban areas it’s basically garden ponds, and if there aren’t any of those around, they are in trouble. So leave out a dog bowl of water and check regularly to make sure it’s being drained.”

HELP GIVE THEM SHELTER

“Leave an area scruffy because that will be filled with all the invertebrates they’re going to eat – and they can also hide in it,” Moorhouse advises. Vass says leaving log piles in the garden will give hedgehogs natural shelter and food, as invertebrates may also inhabit the space.

“Hedgehogs ... seem to be declining slower in urban areas than in rural areas,” says Moorhouse, “but they are still declining in urban areas due to urban intensification – so every time you put in a new fence, or a new house is built on what was scrubland, or you strim down weeds or put in decking, it crowds out space for nature.

“Make sure they can get into your garden. Talk to your neighbours, ask if they’d mind if you cut a CD case-sized hole in your fence, and you’re opening up the garden for hedgehogs.”