How to Make Your Garden Hedgehog Friendly: 6 Simple Ways to Help Britain’s Hedgehogs

How to Make Your Garden Hedgehog Friendly

There was a time when hedgehogs were a common sight in British gardens.

Today, however, these much-loved creatures face increasing challenges from habitat loss, busy roads and modern garden designs that make it difficult for them to travel and find food.

The good news is that even small changes can make a huge difference.

Whether you have a large countryside garden or a modest urban space, here are some simple ways to create a safer and more welcoming environment for Britain’s hedgehogs.

Why Hedgehogs Need Our Help

Hedgehogs can travel up to a mile each night searching for food, water and potential mates.

Unfortunately, fences, walls and heavily landscaped gardens can create barriers that make this journey increasingly difficult.

By making our gardens more wildlife-friendly, we can help create vital habitats and safe routes for these charming visitors.

1. Create a Hedgehog Highway

One of the most effective things you can do is provide a small gap beneath your fence.

A hole measuring approximately 13cm x 13cm allows hedgehogs to move between gardens while remaining too small for most pets.

When several neighbours create these small openings, entire streets can become connected wildlife corridors.

Benefits

• Allows safe movement between gardens
• Helps hedgehogs find food and mates
• Creates valuable habitat networks

2. Provide Fresh Water

Like all wildlife, hedgehogs need access to clean drinking water.

A shallow dish placed in a quiet part of the garden can be especially valuable during warm weather.

Make sure the water is refreshed regularly.

Avoid

• Deep containers
• Containers with steep sides
• Water containing chemicals or additives

3. Leave a Wild Corner

Not every part of the garden needs to be perfectly tidy.

Areas of longer grass, native plants and fallen leaves provide shelter for insects, which are an important food source for hedgehogs.

A small untidy corner can quickly become a haven for wildlife.

Ideas

• Leave part of the lawn unmown
• Create a wildflower patch
• Allow leaf piles to remain during autumn

4. Build a Log Pile

A simple stack of logs can provide shelter for countless insects and offer resting places for hedgehogs.

Position log piles somewhere quiet and sheltered where they can remain undisturbed.

Over time, they become miniature ecosystems supporting a wide range of wildlife.

5. Check Before Strimming or Bonfires

Hedgehogs often shelter in long grass, compost heaps and piles of garden debris.

Before using a strimmer or lighting a bonfire, carefully inspect the area.

Moving materials shortly before lighting a bonfire can also help prevent wildlife becoming trapped inside.

6. Avoid Slug Pellets and Harmful Chemicals

Many garden chemicals can harm wildlife directly or indirectly.

Hedgehogs naturally help control slugs and other garden pests, making them valuable allies for gardeners.

Choosing wildlife-friendly gardening methods benefits the entire ecosystem.

What Should You Feed Hedgehogs?

If you choose to provide food, suitable options include:

✓ Meaty hedgehog food

✓ Meat-based cat or dog food

✓ Specialised hedgehog food

✓ Fresh water

Avoid Feeding

✗ Milk

✗ Bread

✗ Salty foods

✗ Sugary foods

Contrary to popular belief, hedgehogs cannot properly digest milk and it can make them very ill.

Signs You Have a Hedgehog Visitor

You may have hedgehogs visiting your garden if you notice:

• Small droppings
• Rustling noises after dark
• Disturbed leaves
• Empty food dishes overnight
• Footprints in muddy areas

Many people discover they have hedgehog visitors without ever seeing them directly.

Final Thoughts

Creating a hedgehog-friendly garden doesn’t require expensive equipment or major changes.

A small gap in a fence, a shallow bowl of water and a little space left for nature can make a remarkable difference.

As Britain’s hedgehog populations continue to face challenges, our gardens can become important refuges.

By making room for wildlife, we not only help hedgehogs survive, but also bring a little more wildness and wonder into our everyday lives.

After all, some of the most magical moments in nature happen close to home.