Remember Remember the 5th of November - Hedgehogs & Fireworks

Bonfire night is a great night for all the family to get together and watching the fireworks. What we dont tend to think of is the wildlife of which it can harm. 

If your bonfire is going to have to be built in advance, always put up some chicken wire, around 1ft high, to protect the hedgehogs from getting inside. This should be held in place with stakes and make the wire slightly tilted which will make the wire difficult to climb.

Due to hedgehogs liking to nest inamong the bottom of leaves, by using a torch , gently lift up the bottom of the bonfire before lighting it and search for any potential hogs (the family pet may even crawl underneath). If any hogs are found, whilst wearing protective gloves, pick up as much of their nest as you possibly can and put them inside a plastic or even cardboard box with plenty of water and with either hedgehog bisuits or if you do not have these then meaty cat food is a good alternative. Make sure you have laid down newspaper or any sort of old towelling and that their is no human smell on these items.  

Hedgehogs are starting to become a rare site all over the UK, so making sure we do everything we can to ensure that we continue to encourage these spikey animals into our gardens is a must. Having 'highway' entrances into your garden will reduce the risk of the hedgehogs having to cross the busy roads, and having hedgehog houses in your garden will give them a safe warm place to hide and hibernate. 

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