Do

  • Keep a continuous supply of drinking water in your garden in shallow saucers.
  • Provide escape routes from garden ponds – chicken wire at one end and steps the other.
  • Keep rubbish sacks tied during the week. Hedgehogs often climb in a get taken away with the rubbish.
  • Check sheds/garages and greenhouses for hedgehogs before closing the door.
  • Move garden refuse a few feet before burning or forking. A pile of dead leaves etc. may well have a sleeping hedgehog inside.
  • Cover all drains – this will protect your drainage system as well as hedgehogs.
  • Cut away or roll up the bottom of any netting in the garden. Climbing plants don’t need this but hedgehogs can easily get caught up and badly injured in it.
  • Leave babies in nests well alone and contact us for advice.
  • Contact us when you are unsure of what to do.

Do not

  • Ever give cow’s milk or bread – it can cause illness and death in hedgehogs.
  • Use slug pellets – hedgehogs will take care of the slugs.
  • Move hedgehogs unnecessarily or take them home for your garden if there is nothing wrong with them. There is a risk that if a female she may well have a litter somewhere.
  • Remove netting from a hedgehog that has been caught up. Phone us or a vet immediately.
  • Worry about hedgehog fleas. They are a different variety from dog or cat fleas and will not live on family pets.
  • Attempt to care for a wild hedgehog yourself, these little mammals require specialist care when injured, poorly or orphaned.