Make your garden hedgehog friendly

ONE benefit of people spending more time at home is they are able to get into the garden, if they have one.

And the organisers of the Hedgehog Awareness Week from May 3-9 have urged people to improve the habitat for the dwindling population of hedgehogs.

Fay Vass, chief executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, said there are five key things people can do:

• Make CD case sized holes at the bottom of fences or walls is the first step – make sure hedgehogs have access – create a ‘Hedgehog Highway’.
• Create a log pile, this will provide both shelter and food for hedgehogs.
• Offer meaty cat or dog food in the garden at night for hedgehogs to enjoy – you can even create a simple feeding station to prevent it being stolen by neighbourhood cats.
• Offer shallow bowls of water in the garden – literally a lifesaver in hot dry conditions.
• Build a Hedgehog Home for them to nest in and use as a nursery – plans are available here.

During #hedgehogweek there will be competitions every day on the society's Facebook and Twitter pages as well as sharing top tips on making your resident hedgehogs happy.