What should I feed hedgehogs?
The best way to support hedgehogs is to create a garden where they can find plenty of natural food. Wild areas, leaf piles, log piles and pesticide-free spaces encourage the insects and invertebrates that make up most of their natural diet.
You can also provide supplementary food when hedgehogs visit your garden.
Suitable choices include:
- A good-quality specialist hedgehog food
- Meat-based wet cat or dog food
- Dry cat biscuits
- A shallow bowl of fresh water
Choose food that provides balanced nutrition rather than offering individual treats or ingredients. Brambles recommends avoiding mealworms, calciworms, peanuts and sunflower hearts as regular hedgehog foods, as they should not replace a properly balanced diet.
Never give hedgehogs milk. Hedgehogs cannot digest lactose properly, and milk may cause digestive problems. Bread also provides very little nutritional benefit and should not be offered.
Keep feeding areas clean
More than one hedgehog may visit the same feeding area, so good hygiene is important.
Remove uneaten food each morning and provide fresh food and water each evening. Wash bowls after every use, outdoors and away from human food-preparation areas. Use separate cleaning equipment and rinse and dry the bowls thoroughly before refilling them.
A covered feeding station can help keep the food dry and make it more difficult for cats and other animals to reach.
How can I make my garden hedgehog-friendly?
Create a hedgehog highway
Hedgehogs need to move between several gardens to find enough food, shelter and potential mates. A gap measuring approximately 13cm by 13cm at the bottom of a fence or boundary is large enough for a hedgehog to pass through.
Speak to your neighbour before changing a shared boundary and make sure the opening has no sharp edges.
Leave somewhere wild
A quiet corner with longer grass, fallen leaves, logs or branches can provide food, nesting material and shelter. Avoid disturbing established nests, particularly during the breeding and hibernation seasons.
Check before gardening
Hedgehogs can be difficult to see when resting in long grass or undergrowth. Check carefully before using a strimmer, mower, fork or other garden equipment.
Make ponds safe
Hedgehogs can swim, but they may drown if they cannot climb out of a steep-sided pond. Add a ramp, gently sloping edge or partially submerged stones to provide an escape route.
Avoid pesticides and slug pellets
Reducing the use of pesticides supports hedgehogs in two ways: it limits their exposure to potentially harmful chemicals and protects the insects and invertebrates they naturally eat.
Check bonfires before lighting
A pile of leaves and branches can look like an ideal nesting place to a hedgehog. Build a bonfire on the day it will be lit wherever possible, or carefully move the materials to a clear area immediately before lighting.
Discover more ways to make your garden hedgehog-friendly
When do hedgehogs hibernate?
Hedgehogs usually hibernate during the colder months, often between October or November and March or April. The exact timing varies according to the weather, food availability and the individual hedgehog.
During hibernation, their body temperature and metabolic rate fall to conserve energy. They may wake periodically to forage, move nests or respond to changing conditions, so seeing a hedgehog during winter does not always mean something is wrong.
It is sensible to leave fresh water and a small amount of suitable food available throughout winter for any hedgehogs that remain active.
Learn more about hedgehog hibernation
When does a hedgehog need help?
Hedgehogs are normally active at night. A hedgehog that is out during daylight may be unwell, injured or in difficulty, although a nesting female may occasionally be seen gathering materials.
A hedgehog may need urgent help if it is:
- Injured, bleeding or limping
- Lying still in an exposed area
- Surrounded by flies or fly eggs
- Very small, thin or unsteady
- Trapped or tangled
- Out during the day and behaving unusually
Do not attempt to care for a sick or injured hedgehog without specialist advice. Place it in a high-sided box with a towel and a wrapped warm-water bottle, keep it somewhere quiet and contact a local hedgehog rescue or wildlife professional as soon as possible.
Find a hedgehog rescue near you
Supporting hedgehogs with Brambles
Recommended by wildlife rescues and hospitals, Brambles Hedgehog Foods are developed to provide a convenient source of complementary nutrition for visiting wild hedgehogs. Brambles has been creating specialist food for British wildlife since 2017.