#Are hedgehogs nocturnal how to#
Hedgehogs don’t sunbathe! How to help a hog in need The British Hedgehog Preservation Society has issued a plea for people to keep an eye out for hedgehogs in need of help. Try and release them the same night if possible, to reduce stress for the hedgehog. Once the bonfire has completely dampened down, release the hedgehog under a hedge, bush or behind a stack of logs, leaving out food and water. Place the box in a shed or garage away from the bonfire and noise of fireworks, which will scare them. Make sure the lid is firmly secured, or the hedgehogs may climb out and injure themselves. Take as much of the nest as you can and place into a high-sided cardboard box with holes in the top, lined with newspaper and old towelling. If you spot a hedgehog in your bonfire, use a pole or broom handle to lift the pile.
Wear gardening gloves, which stops human scent getting on the hog, minimises stress to them and saves your hands from spines. What to do if you do find a hedgehog in a bonfire Listen for a hissing sound – this is the noise they make when disturbed. Use a torch to help see into the shadows. Never use a spade or fork as these can injure them. Hedgehogs tend to hide in the centre and bottom 2 feet of the bonfire, so check by gently lifting the bonfire section by section with a pole or broom. If a bonfire is left unattended for even a short time, check for hedgehogs before lighting.Hedgehogs are good climbers – so your fence should be at least 1m high, firmly staked, and sloping outwards at an angle to make it hard to climb. If a large bonfire must be built in advance, build a hedgehog-proof fence around it using chicken wire.Pampas grass can ignite very easily from bonfire sparks. Avoid setting bonfires near pampas grass – another favourite spot for hedgehogs to hide under.Light the fire from one side only – and keep people away from the unlit side, so any hedgehogs have an escape route.Build your fire on open ground – not on piles of leaves, which are also a favourite place for hedgehogs.If you're having a large bonfire that needs to be built in advance, place chicken wire one metre high around the area, held in place with stakes and angled outwards, so that the hedgehogs can't climb it.Don't construct the bonfire until the actual day of your festivities, then move it to a different spot if kept there for a while.If collecting wood beforehand, make sure to keep it under tarpaulin or in a shed.But if you are planning a blaze this autumn, don’t worry - there’s a simple solution to avoid any hedgehog casualties.īefore lighting your bonfire follow these easy steps:
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