DO provide water for wildlife in your garden. It can be as big as a pond or as small as a lid - just make sure to add an escape route for all the creatures!
DON'T put milk out as hedgehogs are lactose intolerant!
DO provide nesting material for birds. If you use pet hair make sure that you have not used flea drops or similar as it is likely to transfer to the birds and their babies.
DON'T use man-made material such as acrylic wool as these can cause horrific injuries. Other materials to avoid are human hair and dryer lint.
DO feed your garden visitors. To feed hedgehogs all you need is cat food. Meat in jelly or dry biscuits will make a good meal for a hog. Fancy brands with "hedgehog food" are often just very expensive cat food - read the description before buying!
DON'T feed hedgehogs mealworms, milk, bread, raisins, peanuts etc. We are often told that the hedgehogs seem to really enjoy mealworms so they will keep feeding them these. Did you know that feeding them mealworms is very likely to cause a painful bone disease as the high phosphate in them drains the calcium from their bones?
Raisins are just sweet and sticky and cause mouth rot, bread has very little nutritional value, peanuts act like mealworms for their bones and hedgehogs are lactose intolerate. Stick to water and cat biscuits 🙂
