Why Hedgehogs Need a Helping Hand

Britain's hedgehogs are in trouble. Once a familiar visitor to gardens up and down the country, their numbers have fallen sharply over recent decades. The reasons are many, but one of the biggest is fragmentation: our gardens, parks and green spaces have become a patchwork of isolated islands, cut off from one another by solid fences, walls and impenetrable boundaries.

A hedgehog can easily travel a mile or more in a single night in search of food, shelter and company. But a hedgehog faced with a six-foot panel fence at every turn simply cannot get where it needs to go. The humble solution? A small gap, roughly the size of a CD case, cut into the bottom of your fence. It is known as a hedgehog highway, and it is one of the simplest and most rewarding wildlife-friendly changes you can make.

What Exactly Is a Hedgehog Highway?

The idea is straightforward. Hedgehogs are creatures of habit, following the same routes night after night. If you create a gap of about 13cm by 13cm (roughly 5 inches square) at ground level in your fence or wall, a hedgehog can pass through it comfortably while most pets and larger animals cannot.

One gap on its own helps, but the real magic happens when neighbours do the same. A series of connected gardens becomes a continuous corridor, giving hedgehogs safe passage through the whole street, estate or village. Some communities have even mapped these routes, creating informal "hedgehog highways" that link dozens of gardens together. It costs almost nothing and takes minutes to set up, yet the difference it makes to local wildlife is enormous.

How to Create a Gap Safely and Neatly

Before you reach for the saw, check a few practical points.

• Choose a sensible spot. Pick a quiet corner away from roads, driveways and busy paths, ideally along a route a hedgehog might naturally follow.
• Check for services. Make sure there are no buried cables, pipes or irrigation lines where you plan to cut.
• Get permission if needed. If you rent, or the fence belongs to a neighbour, have a quick chat first — most people are delighted to help.
• Cut a neat square. A 13cm x 13cm opening at ground level is ideal. Remove any sharp edges, splinters or protruding nails.
• Line it if you like. A small piece of plastic or metal edging around the gap stops the wood rotting and keeps the opening clear.
• Leave it unobstructed. Trim back grass, ivy and debris so the passage stays open year-round.

If you have a brick wall rather than a fence, a single brick removed at the base often does the trick. For a solid concrete base under a fence panel, you may need to break out a small section — worth doing, as a gap above a solid base is no use to a hedgehog on the ground.

Making Your Garden a Destination, Not Just a Corridor

A highway is only as good as the places it connects. If your garden is a tidy, sterile space with nothing to eat or hide in, hedgehogs will pass straight through. Turning your patch into a genuine hedgehog haven is the natural next step.

• Leave a wild corner. A patch of long grass, nettles or log pile provides insects to eat and somewhere to sleep.
• Provide water. A shallow dish of fresh water at ground level is invaluable, especially in hot, dry spells.
• Offer supplementary food. Meat-based cat or dog food, or specialist hedgehog food, is ideal. Never give milk or bread — these cause serious illness.
• Build a hedgehog house. A simple wooden box tucked into a quiet border gives a safe place to nest and hibernate.
• Go chemical-free. Slug pellets and other pesticides are lethal to hedgehogs. Let natural predators do the work instead.

Safety First: Avoiding Common Hazards

Even a well-connected garden can be a dangerous place if we are not careful. Hedgehogs are curious and clumsy, and some everyday features pose real risks.

Ponds need an escape route. A hedgehog that falls in can drown if it cannot climb out. A gently sloping edge, a ramp of stones or a piece of chicken wire draped over the side gives it a way to scramble free. Check before you mow or strim — long grass is a favourite daytime resting spot, and strimmers cause horrific injuries. Watch out for netting and litter: football nets, garden netting, plastic rings from drinks cans and elastic bands all entangle hedgehogs. Store netting up off the ground and cut any loops before binning them. Finally, always check bonfires before lighting, especially around 5 November, as a pile of wood is a tempting place to hibernate.

Getting Your Neighbours Involved

The real power of a hedgehog highway comes from connection. One gap in one fence is a gesture; a whole street of gaps is a lifeline. Why not mention the idea over the fence, or pop a friendly note through a few doors? Many people have never heard of hedgehog highways and are genuinely keen to help once they understand.

You could also think about how your garden links to the wider landscape. A gap that connects to a neighbouring garden, which in turn opens onto a park, allotment or hedgerow, creates a route that hedgehogs can use for years to come. Even small improvements add up: a single new gap, a dish of water, a wild corner left unmown.

Best of all, you do not need to wait for anyone else. Cut your gap this weekend, set out some water, and see what happens. Hedgehogs are creatures of the night, so you may never spot your visitors — but the trails through the grass, the rustle in the border at dusk and the knowledge that you have opened a door for one of Britain's most beloved mammals are reward enough.