A hedgehog wonderland
4th December 2025
Not a creature was stirring, not even a hedgehog…
Help hedgehogs this winter
The cold is setting in, and winter has well and truly arrived. As temperatures drop, hedgehogs need our help as they enter hibernation. There are several ways to create a ‘hedgehog wonderland’ and help our spikey friends make it through the harsh weather:
- Read about our hedgehog friendly winter gardening tips.
- Find the answers to our most frequently asked questions about hibernation.
- Consider making a hedgehog house, like the examples here.
- As hedgehogs are fattening up for hibernation, continually put out supplementary food and fresh water through the autumn and into winter. This can help them bulk up when their natural food is scarce. Take note of our top tips for feeding here.
- We suggest feeding during autumn until they stop taking the food, then offer a few dry hedgehog biscuits. Hedgehogs will rouse from time to time during hibernation, so if you notice that the biscuits are being taken or there’s a spell of mild weather, you can resume feeding again and repeat the process.
- By the end of November/December, most hedgehogs should be in hibernation, unless it is a particularly mild winter. Hedgehogs can successfully hibernate at a minimum weight of 450g, but they are more likely to survive hibernation at 600g.
- If you find a hedgehog which is under 450g at this point, please do rescue them ASAP. You can contact our partners at BHPS on 01584 890801 or info@britishhedgehogs.org.uk for further advice.
- Please note that hedgehogs are best left alone and not handled unless they are in need of help. If you think a hedgehog needs to be weighed, please do so wearing thick gloves, as quickly and quietly as possible in the garden to minimise stress caused to the hedgehog. If it is not in need of help, please release it immediately.
