How to help your neighbourhood hedgehogs this Halloween 🦔

Help your neighbourhood hedgehogs 🦔

Here’s a (slightly weird) but important reminder about the disposing of pumpkins after Halloween! 🎃

Please do NOT put these on the ground for Hedgehogs to eat in your gardens, woodlands, parks or anywhere! Pumpkin acts as a laxative & will cause hedgehogs to have serious diarrhea & dehydration. No...really!

At this time of year it is vital that hedgehogs put on as much weight as possible to give them the best chance of surviving winter & hibernation.

Hedgehogs are also lactose intolerant, so things like milk can also leave them with a dicky tummy & it’s also best not to leave bread for them either as it has little nutritional value.

If you want to leave your local hedgehogs a culinary delight...they love fruit! Apples, bananas, berries & melons are popular choices among hedgehogs.

For their veggies try fresh tomatoes, fresh green beans & cooked squash are some options that your hedgehog may enjoy. Starchy vegetables, such as corn, potatoes & carrots should be avoided as well as dried vegetables.

You can help hogs further by making your garden attractive to their invertebrate prey. Allowing areas to become overgrown or adding a pond, log pile or compost heap will provide habitat. Birds and other wildlife that feed on these minibeasts will benefit too.

As well as providing food, it’s important to ensure hedgehogs can easily access your garden. An individual hog can range over a mile in a single evening, but when gardens are surrounded by impenetrable walls and fencing it becomes difficult for them to move around. A space of just 13 x 13cm is enough for any hog to get in and out of your garden.

Hedgehogs also need sheltered spaces to sleep during the day and hibernate through the winter. Overgrown patches, compost heaps and log piles can all be used by resting hogs. Another option is to buy or build a hedgehog house. Place the house in a quiet, shaded corner of your garden to have the best chance of a hog taking up residence.

🦔 Help our adorable prickly friends let them have a comfortable Christmas. Hope this helps keep your local Hogs healthy 🌍💚🌳