How to Build a Hedgehog House

Once upon a time, hedgehogs were a common sight in British gardens. However, statistics show that their population is declining fast – so much so in fact, that hedgehog numbers declined by over a third between 2003 and 2012.

Many factors have contributed to this drastic decline: new roads and more traffic, new houses being built resulting in habitat loss, and gardens being surrounded by solid walls and fences.

To help, you can:

- Stop using slug pellets and chemicals as they can poison hedgehogs

- Before cutting hedges, shrubs, or mowing the lawn, check for hedgehogs in bushes and long grass

-Cover ponds at night as hedgehogs can fall in but struggle to get out

- Check bonfires for hedgehogs before lighting

- Build a hedgehog house!

Click here to view an A4, printable version of this guide, and please feel free to help more hedgehogs by publishing this guide on your own site (just use the embed code below).

How to Build a Hedgehog House - An infographic by the team at www.ukoakdoors.co.uk

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When your hedgehog house is finished:

- Do not varnish or treat the wood as the chemical could potentially be harmful to the hedgehogs

- Place it in a quiet location in your garden, surrounded by plants, under a covering plant if possible, and against a wall or fence

- Position the box so the entrance is protected from wind. It’s recommended that the house faces South or South West

- Clean the hedgehog house once a year in spring, using an organic Pyrehthrum powder. If you’re not sure if a hedgehog is living in the house simply place something small outside the entrance overnight. If in the morning it has been moved, the house is probably being used by a grateful hedgehog!