As part of Hedgehog Awareness Week, The British Hedgehog Preservation Society are encouraging everyone to be aware of the dangers that lawnmowers and strimmers pose to hedgehogs.
Summer is quickly approaching and, if we haven’t done so already, many of us will be looking forward to dusting off the lawnmower and making the lawn look beautiful. If there are lots of overgrown areas in your garden, Hedgehogs could be hiding there. Long grass as well as piles of leaves and twigs provide nice places for hedgehogs to set up camp, so be sure to look for hedgehogs before you begin to use the lawnmower or strimmer, and take care when moving piles of leaves.
Other things that can be potentially hazardous to hedgehogs include slug pellets, weedkiller and fruit nets.
How can I help hedgehogs in my garden?
After looking out for them before you mow or strim your garden or turn your compost heap, one of the next best things you can do to help hedgehogs in your garden is build a hedgehog house! From a cardboard box with holes in to a purpose built hog house, there’s a whole host of different types to choose from. Have a look at this guide to get some excellent tips on building your very own hedgehog home.
You can read more about Hedgehog Awareness week here.