By RSPB Frampton Marsh officer Dr Chris Andrews
I think it is fair to say that autumn is now properly with us.
Despite the odd warm day, there is a definite chill in the air. More importantly, the greens of summer have become reds, yellows and browns as leaves fall from the trees and form a multicoloured carpet on the ground. Great for kids. Who can remember how much fun it was to kick them up into the air and see them flutter back down? Maybe not quite so much fun for the gardeners and street cleaners who have to collect them up!
All these leaves provide a handy resource for what must be one of our most recognisable and best loved animals, the hedgehog.
From the Beatrix Potter stories of Mrs Tiggywinkle to the Sonic computer games of recent times, hedgehogs seem to have a grasp on our imaginations.
Even if we haven’t seen one ourselves, we all know what they look like. Small rounded bundles of spikes, trundling around seemingly in a world of their own.
Of course, what they are really doing is looking for food. And very useful to gardeners they are too. Slugs, snails and all sorts of other garden pests are quickly snaffled up. Definitely a handy sort of animal to have around.
But as the weather gets colder, this food supply starts to disappear. Faced with less food, the hedgehogs do what many animals in a similar situation do, and hibernate. They find a nice cosy spot and snooze their way through the cold winter months.
A big pile of autumn leaves is ideal for this. Or maybe a stack of old dry wood. Though this can lead to unfortunate accidents, when it turns out the des-res is really someone’s bonfire.
Particularly as we head towards November 5. If you are making a bonfire, either for celebratory purposes or to rid yourself of garden waste, please do check it for sleeping tenants before you set it alight. Or you could make your hog a home. An old wooden fruit or veg box, placed in a quiet corner and covered in leaves will do very well. That way, you might gain your own personal pest controller for next year!
Now, you can’t sleep through winter without some preparation. So the hedgehogs at this time of year are also desperate for food. The more they eat, the more fat reserves they will have to see them through the winter. So it is good to give them a helping hand, particularly if they are still small. Despite what you may think, bread and milk is a very bad idea. It upsets the hedgehog’s stomach, making them very ill. Cat or dog food is much better, provided it is the non-fishy kind.
Though they do like all sorts of other things too, such as dried fruit.
So go on, help out your hedgehogs this autumn!
