Hedgehog Houses and Feeding Stations

Many people ask how they can attract hedgehogs into their gardens.

The obvious answer is to make them welcome by providing food and water.

Water can be left out in the garden but if you leave food in the open, it is likely that it will be eaten by foxes or cats.

For this reason many people ask how they can build a feeding station.

How to make a feeding station for hedgehogs

The easiest and cheapest way to do this is by modifying a plastic storage box. You can use one with a lid or invert an open top one.

cut an entrance 5 inches square in one of the short sides.
tape the edges to cover any sharp edges.
decide on a location and have 2-3 bricks available.
place the food and water at the back of the box, far from the entrance.
place the box over the dishes and weigh down with a brick or two to prevent the box being blown away or moved by foxes.
place 2 bricks, one on top of the other, around 5 inches in front of the entrance. This makes it harder for foxes or cats to enter or reach in and pull the dish out. As an alternative to the bricks you could use a heavy flower container or bucket full of earth.
you can offer even more protection from foxes by using another brick inside the box to form a barrier and put the food on the far side of the brick.

hedgehog feeding station plan

Watch the video for a practical demonstration.

Water is important especially in any dry summer months.

Dry conditions also hamper the hogs from digging for earthworms etc if the ground becomes compacted.

Although you can buy hedgehog food this is not necessary. Any wet cat or dog food is suitable although they do prefer meaty ones rather than fish.

Dry cat food is also suitable.

NEVER FEED THE FOLLOWING

No milk or bread.
No mealworms (there is evidence that these can cause Metabolic Bone Disease (brittle bones), especially in growing juveniles. This is owing to an unhealthy calcium / phosphorus ratio).
No sunflower hearts, or peanuts

Should you feed regularly ?

The answer is not as straightforward as once advised.

If hedgehogs are fed every day in one place they can become dependent and come to rely on that as a food source.

They also need their natural food.

If they don't crack open beetles the chance of tartar building up on their teeth is increased.

If they don't ever dig for earthworms and ground beetles, their claws can become overgrown.

So best advice from many wildlife rescues these days is to feed but in moderation and at specific times of the year.

The times when you can really help by feeding are

In spring when they first come out of hibernation in March or April.
In hot dry summer periods when the ground is too hard to dig
In autumn when they need to gain weight for successful hibernation around October.

The intention is not to turn hedgehogs into wildlife pets but to support them to thrive naturally. The food you supply should supplement their natural diet, not replace it.

The best way to help is actually to make your garden wildlife friendly by providing wildlife friendly areas where their natural food sources will thrive. Keep reading for advice on that!

Making a hedgehog home

While a plastic box is ideal for a feeding station as it is very easy to clean, if you want to encourage hedgehogs to nest or hibernate in your garden then a more substantial wooden home is ideal.

There are many hedgehog homes available to purchase online but you can make your own with basic DIY skills.

The same principles apply as for the feeding station. You want to form a corridor in the box so that there is an inner sanctum where the hog is out of reach of foxes.

Also place bricks or other heavy object in front of the entrance. Anything that stops an enterprising fox from having a clear run at the entrance.

hog_house leaflet

Do NOT use creosote to waterproof the box. Only water based preservatives are recommended.

You want to make a removable lid so that it can be cleaned periodically but do NOT open the box once a hedgehog has moved in.

If a mother is nesting she may harm the hoglets or desert them if disturbed.

The best times to clean are March or April, depending on the weather, i.e. after hibernation and again in late October once any hoglets have left the nest but before hibernation begins.

How to encourage hedgehogs to your garden

If you provide food for hedgehogs when they need support (see above) then that may encourage them to choose your garden for their nesting and hibernation.

Having piles of leaves and/or moss nearby to use as nesting material will help.

Also making your garden wildlife friendly will help.

Leave parts of your garden wild, including low bushes, long grass, and local wildflowers (attracting insects).
Keep some area of the garden well watered in hot periods, so that the ground remains soft, and the hedgehog can dig for worms.
Create a natural wormery, for example by using some large flowerpots on natural soil, and move them slightly in the evening (worms often live under pots or saucers)
Do not use weed killers (they may kill the earth worms that live near this plant and may also poison insects that the hedgehog might eat).

Feeding stations should be sited well away from the hedgehog home so that predators are not attracted to the home.

Make sure your garden is a safe place for your visiting friends. Check out the page on risks posed to hedgehogs in gardens.