Hedgehogs are hibernating right now.
So, if you come across one out in the daylight, you should take them to your local vet or wildlife center, as they will need urgent medical attention and vet care. However, once again, in the Spring, Hedgehogs will be out. There are five good ways that you can help Hedgehogs this upcoming Spring. Just like the Five ways that you can help birds this Spring, we are going to look at five ways that you can help Hedgehogs.
When people think of helping wildlife in their garden, they mostly think of helping birds.
Helping birds is a great way to help wildlife in your garden. Many people help birds, as can be seen with events such as the Big Garden Birdwatch.
But not as many people realize there is specialized food to help hedgehogs too.
Helping mammals such as Hedgehogs is becoming more and more essential. It is becoming essential due to a number of facts. One of the facts being that Hedgehogs have decreased dramatically in numbers. During the 1950s, Hedgehog numbers were around 55 million. Today, there are less than a million Hedgehogs around Britain. Hedgehogs have been one of the fastest declining wild animals in Britain. Due to habitat erosion, and the construction of roads. These are two of the main issues which are thought to have contributed to the hedgehogs decline.
There is evidence that Hedgehog numbers are dwindling even further. A report out found that less than a third of Britons seen a Hedgehog in their garden. This indicates that the number of Hedgehogs are still declining. It means that our gardens are becoming essential habitats for hedgehogs. And, like with birds, there are several things that you can do to help our spiky friends!
1. Hedges As their name indicates, Hedgehogs prefer places with hedgerows in them. This is their habitat. With less gardens having hedges, it becomes more damaging to Hedgehogs. Hedges are to Hedgehogs, what trees are to birds, they are essential for their survival, their home. Hedges aren't that expensive. You can buy them cheaply in garden stores. To help Hedgehogs in your garden, plant as many hedges as you can. This will be enormously beneficial to any Hedgehogs in your area. 2. Food Like buying wild bird food, you can also buy food which is especially made for wild Hedgehogs. Or, even giving them cat food would be good to.
There are certain foods to avoid though. Avoid giving Hedgehogs things such as bread. This is not good for them. But, giving them a source of food which is suitable for them will help them tremendously. 3. Water Put a source of water out for them. A plastic dish, or something shallow, would be best used for Hedgehogs. Just make sure that it is not deep. If you have a pond in your garden, have an escape route for any wild animals that might fall in. A good pond will be shallow first, then go deeper. Like food, water is essential for Hedgehogs survival.
4. Avoid slug repellent Avoid using slug repellent completely. This is poisonous for hedgehogs, and it will kill them if they digest it. Avoid using any chemicals in the garden. These are not only harmful to Hedgehogs, they are also harmful for other wild animals. 5. Accessibility No matter how Hedgehog friendly your garden is, it will be of no use to Hedgehogs, if they cannot get in. This is why it is important to make your garden accessible to Hedgehogs. To make your garden accessible to Hedgehogs, try make a space which is accessible at the bottom of your fence.