Hedgehog Awareness Week, 5th - 11th May

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) is asking people to make a space for hedgehogs to live in their garden.

And they have named this coming week Hedgehog Awareness Week to highlight the problems hedgehogs face and how you can help them.

A hedgehog home could be in the form of a log pile or wild area that will provide a buffet of creepy crawlies, or a more formal hedgehog home.

The Society has a free downloadable plan for building a hedgehog home on their website.

There are many other simple things we can all do to help hedgehogs:
• Make sure there are CD-case-sized gaps in boundary fences and walls to allow easy passage.
• Move piles of rubbish to a new site before burning it.
• Check areas carefully before mowing or strimming.
• Ensure netting is kept at a safe height.
• Check compost heaps before digging the fork in.
• Stop or reduce the amount of pesticides and poisons used.
• Cover drains or deep holes.
• Ensure there is an easy route out of ponds & pools.

BHPS Chief Executive Fay Vass said:

"We would love to see what you have done for hedgehogs during the week. Send us pictures from the event you organise or of the hedgehog space you create, and if you are on social media do use #hedgehogweek!"