A friend has made us a dozen hedgehog houses for us to sell. They are made of marine ply and coated with a safe water base wood exterior paint. They are not too heavy to carry, discreet tucked away in bushes, the lid may need a brick on top to stop a fox or dog knocking the lid off.
A bought house, very sturdy, expensive and not very big bedroom compartment. We have added a tunnel of wood. You would want to position this under or near a hedge if possible, ensuring the entrance is away from prevailing winds and rain.
This shows a hedgehog house under the insect house. It’s a plastic storage box with a ventilation hole at one end. The insect house was built around the box. It needs a 13cm tunnel with bricks as shown to stop a stray cat sleeping in there.
HEDGEHOG HOUSES
Hedgehog like to find their own chosen spot to make a nest and often have several in different gardens.
As they are HEDGEhogs they love a dense old hedge, but there are not many gardens with hedges now. Under sheds, under decking, in log piles, in piles of garden rubbish, leaves, grasses and shrubs even in a rubbish bag left untouched. So many people want easy to maintain gardens, no hedges to cut, neat panels of fencing even artificial grass. Often there is no good safe place for a hedgehog to go.
By making a shelter or purpose-built house with some dry hay or dry leaves it gives the hedgehogs a good start to find a home.
They will not always stay in them, but we hear of many that do for many years and rear their young.
At least we are trying to give them every chance.
Picture showing Hedgehog Houses that we sell that are purpose made for us also a bought one.