The news about hedgehogs is rather depressing at the moment. Repeated studies suggest that our favourite wild native mammal is quietly disappearing from our lives. The latest study suggests that they are doing particularly badly in rural areas. It is lazy and ill informed to blame badgers as the survey shows that they too are absent in many of the same areas. Besides, badgers have predated hedgehogs and competed with them for food for thousands of years without putting a dent in the population. It is more likely that modern agricultural practices have produced a barren landscape for our wildlife.
It now behoves those of us who have access to gardens and allotments to do what we can to help hedgehogs. We should avoid poisons such as slug pellets and pesticides; leave a wild patch including log piles and leaves; plant a variety of flowers that attract insects and make access easy so that hedgehogs can forage throughout linked gardens by creating CD sized gaps in fences.
Hedgehogs love to eat beetles and caterpillars so planting native hedges, shrubs and wildflowers will encourage the invertebrates that hedgehogs feed on. Supplemental feeding of hedgehogs is a great help to them, ensuring guaranteed meals and reducing the stress involved in seeking food. Hedgehogs can be fed with wet or dry cat or dog food, or specialist hedgehog food can be purchased. A simple hedgehog feeding station will keep cats and foxes from stealing the food.
There is no evidence that this additional food source prevents hedgehogs from engaging in their normal foraging behaviour. Here is a series of photographs of a young hedgehog hunting for and finding food on my lawn en route to the feeding station.
I am glad to say that my local hedgehogs have managed to successfully raise at least three hoglets in my garden this year. In addition there have been at least five different adults visiting.
I even had a hedgehog wake up in the middle of the winter snow to visit the feeding station for a snack.
During the heatwave this summer I put out several dishes of water topped up throughout the day and night which was vital for all of our garden wildlife as well as hedgehogs.
It doesn’t take much to make your garden hedgehog friendly and to give them a helping hand so that future generations will not be robbed of the magical pleasure of watching hedgehogs snuffling about.
rambling ratz 
Great hedgehog shots and sound advice too.
Thank you.
Omg, so very cute
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This is wonderful! Thank you so much for showing these pics and helping out the hedgehogs. I hope that others follow your suggestions!
Thank you. Yes I believe that people have the power to reverse the decline of hedgehogs 🙂
Loved the photos.
Good to hear you’re doing your part and can see some successes come out of it 🙂
Thank you. Having hedgehogs in my garden brings me such a lot of pleasure. Hopefully with all of the campaigns people will be able to reverse this decline. 🙂
It’s important to remember that though wildflowers, trees and shrubs are important, the native grasses shouldn’t be forgotten as they’re so important for wildlife, especially some of our butterflies and moths. A great solution is a wildflower meadow and anyone can have one, even if it’s only a square metre. Check out the amazing wildflower turf at http://wildlifeservices.co.uk/meadowturf.html
Agreed. I don’t mow our lawn short and often leave it to grow a range of grasses to seed, clover and other flowers. I even get an orchid growing in the lawn.
Aw Lovely to read how well hedgehogs are doing in your garden, thanks to your extra care. 🙂 I hope they do not disappear altogether – how sad would that be?
I can’t imagine a UK without hedgehogs, so hopefully we will act before it is too late.
Neither can I. I saw one or two in our garden in Yorkshire when I was a kid.
Reblogged this on Rattiesforeverworldpresscom and commented:
How sad and beautiful is your post ❤
Thank you. Hopefully there will be a happy ending.
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It’s so sad isn’t it?
I have to say that our little community of hedgehogs may be dwindling too. I’ve only seen two throughout the summer and they were older hedgehogs (and very fat!). There may be some younger ones around coming into the Old House garden for our windfall apples as the dog has been very interested at night! Although I’m worried that there is a badger in the next doors woodland garden as a tree surgeon we had in said there was some badger poo there. I’ll keep putting out food though! Xx
Oh no, that is a real shame. They face so many threats.
I know…😢 I’ve been leaflet dropping around the area somneighbours are more aware.