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Position the opening at about the center of the top slat (the slat closest to the box’s opening). Then, use a hand saw to cut through the slat and create the opening. By providing a safe and sheltered area for a hedgehog means you are much more likely to see them returning to your garden. With winter on its way, hedgehogs will be on the hunt for somewhere warm to hide — and a hedgehog house is just what they need. You can also join me on a visit to my York wildlife garden to see where I site my hedgehog boxes and ask me everything you would like to know about how to help hedgehogs.
If a hedgehog is at home, you’ll find it will have been moved by the next morning. Finally, place the top back on the crate, but don’t nail it shut! You’ll need to take it off and tidy up the house every year or two. This is best done during October before hogs go into hibernation. Hedgehogs need a sheltered spot to sleep during the day and hibernate through winter.
Cleaning the hedgehog house
The hedgehog will create thick walls of leaves and grasses, which provide excellent insulation. So the bedroom, or hibernation chamber should be at least 30cm, 12 inches square, and a similar depth. Do not create a hedgehog house without a tunnel or archway! Not including a tunnel or archway will make it easy for predator animals to reach into the house and pull out hedgehogs. By providing safe places for hedgehogs to live, you’re much more likely to see these prickly creatures in your garden.
This means your hedgehog home will likely be vacant for a while, giving you enough time to give it a little refresh. Ideally, this will be in a wooded area of the garden. Then, insert the baseless pot into the entrance hole of your hedgehog home.
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Use a jig saw to cut an entrance hole 11cm x 15cm out of one side of the crate at the base. Follow our guide to making a hedgehog box, where hedgehogs can sleep, nest and hibernate. Such a helpful man who went the extra mile to ensure that the carrier had precise instructions on where to leave the hedgehog house and food etc., as the recipient would be out. Take a look at this video for step by step instructions. If you have a large and reasonably wild garden, you could provide hibernation homes for your local hedgehogs with minimal effort. Autumn is here, and winter is most definitely on the way.
Once you've built your hedgehog house, you should ideally avoid disturbing it so as not to disrupt any hedgehogs living inside. Your hedgehog house will need plenty of ventilation, so cut a small hole in the side of your box and insert a small piece of pipe to allow air to pass through. Make sure the pipe is pointing sideways so the rain can't get in. If you don't have a small piece of pipe, you can simply drill a few small holes around the top of the hedgehog hideaway. Whether you make your own or buy one, fill the chamber of your hedgehog home with a layer of dead, dry leaves.
Understand the basic principles of a hedgehog home.
Each side and end had to comprise of 2 pieces of wood joined together to give the house enough height. Cut an entrance to your hedgehog home in the side of the box. It's worth clearing out the hedgehog home, every year or two.
Next, build up the bricks on top of each other so that you create a well-sheltered enclosure. For the roof, place two bricks on the top where the gap is. This will show the small hedgehogs exactly where they need to enter. Always ensure you wear gardening gloves to avoid getting any splinters from the wood in your hand.
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Simply cut your timber into four 30cm sections and nail them together lengthways.
Build a cosy hedgehog home to encourage them to rest, hibernate and raise their hoglets in your garden. In the 1950s, there were an estimated 30 million hedgehogs in the UK. Recent estimates suggest there are less than a million left. By building a hedgehog home you can provide somewhere safe for shelter, hibernation and raising hoglets. You can make your hedgehog home at any time of year, but it will most likely be occupied in Autumn when they are looking for a hibernation spot.
Soon it will be time for our hedgehogs to hibernate. Hibernation is one of the most challenging times of the year for hedgehogs. With their natural habitat disappearing fast, they can often struggle to find suitable homes for the winter. Hedgehogs can eat low-fat dry cat food to meet most of their nutritional needs. Fill a small ceramic dish with food and allow the hedgehog to free-feed. You will also need to include a water bottle or ceramic dish filled with water.
British wildlife Seven simple ways to create a wildlife-friendly garden Find out how to help urban nature and attract more wildlife to your garden. This should only be done when you are sure there are no hedgehog occupants. There are two opportunities to clean a hedgehog house each year.
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