Our fellow hedgehogs have seen decline, with loss of their natural habitat and increased environmental pollution in recent years. We can all do our bit to save these helpful garden friends.
Hedgehogs are an ally for any gardener. They share their helpfulness in eating those creatures sent to destroy your blooms and beloved plants. They happily nibble on snails, slugs and other pests who cause havoc on garden plants.
We have created a helpful and easy to follow, list of Do’s and Don’t. To support your Hedgehog/s to thrive in your local gardens and surrounding areas.
Help to protect your prickly garden friends today
Hedgehog DO’s:
· Do leave some areas of wilderness where the hedgehogs can snuffle for insects.
· Do put out water for drinking.
· Do put out a bowl of hedgehog food, dog food or meaty cat food around dusk.
· Do install, in a quiet part of the garden, a hedgehog house.
· Do place the Hedgehog house entrance towards a wall or fence.
· Do shield the entrance from wind or access to predators
· Do look to see if your hedgehog is limping or appears to be injured, or in late Autumn look out for underweight hedgehogs
Hedgehog DON’T’s:
· Don’t put out bread and milk
· Don’t pick up fit hedgehogs
· Don’t leave black sacks lying around.
· Don’t use slug pellets or other chemicals, they may poison hedgehogs and other animals.
· Don’t light a bonfire without checking to see if a hedgehog or other wild animal has moved in.
· Don’t fork over compost heaps in case hedgehogs or other animals have taken up residence.
· Don’t spray hedgehogs with dog or cat flea sprays. It will be detrimental to the hedgehog.
Feeding Hedgehogs is one way you can help give hedgehogs a chance of thriving in your garden or local area. We at Pet Supplies Sussex feed Brambles wet food, as well as Spikes dry food. This provides a complete food option, providing necessary dry food, moisture and meat. Both or either are good for your hedgehogs balanced diet. But good quality meat cat food is also good, as we know its sometimes a case of what is available and to hand. Your prickly friends will be very grateful for anything you leave for them, we are sure! It is advisable to leave drinking water out and easy to access. As all of your prickly friends adventures, can be thirsty work. We suggest leaving water in shallow bowls for ease of access to large and small wildlife.
So to ensure hedgehogs are safe, warm and fed to a satisfying degree (as we know they love their nibbles). We provide a clean and dry feeding station in the image below, which they seem to like visiting ‘Regularly’!.
If you are interested in feeding hedgehogs but not your neighbourhood cats! A hedgehog feeding station may well be the answer. It also helps to keep the food and the hedgehog/s dry when it is raining. Hedgehogs aren’t keen on the rain! They are inexpensive, can be made in various sizes and are fun to make with the family. Why not try to make one yourself?