What do they feed on

• Slugs
• Snails
• Worms
• Beetles

In cold weather you can supplement their diet by leaving out ready made hedgehog food from a supplier, or they will even eat cat or dog food and please do not forget to leave out water.

Never leave out milk as Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant.

Another idea is to make your own hedgehog food mixture by using:-

Dry cat biscuits

Sunflower hearts

Unsalted crushed peanuts.

Dried Mealworms

Sultana’s and/or dried Banana.

Where are they found :-

European hedgehogs are found from Sicily up through Italy and Germany to southern Scandinavia and Finland. They are found throughout the British Isles (with the exception of some of the Scottish islands), present in almost all lowland habitats where there is sufficient cover for nesting, and are most abundant along woodland edges, hedgerows in meadowland and in rough pasture. They are also a common resident of urban areas.

Why are they in decline:-

The reasons aren’t clear but may be as a result of intensive farming – and the loss of hedgerows and grassland which is likely to have played a role

The use of pesticides too will reduce the amount of prey available.

Badgers are a natural predator of hedgehogs.

When the habitat provides sufficient cover and good foraging opportunities, predation by badgers is not necessarily a problem for hedgehogs, but in poor habitats, it might have a big impact.