The European hedgehog is a familiar visitor to gardens, foraging for insects and worms. These insectivores can become a nuisance when their foraging habits lead to digging in lawns, disturbing outdoor pets, or leaving droppings in high-traffic areas. This guide focuses on ethical and legally compliant methods to encourage hedgehogs to move naturally out of a residential area without causing harm.
Understanding Legal Protections
Any strategy focused on removing hedgehogs must begin with an understanding of their protected status. In the United Kingdom, for example, hedgehogs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wild Mammals Protection Act 1996. These laws prohibit the intentional killing, injuring, or cruel treatment of the animals.
Lethal removal or relocation without specific licensing is often illegal, as hedgehogs are considered a declining species. The appropriate course of action is humane deterrence and habitat modification. Homeowners must focus on making their property less appealing, encouraging the animal to move to a more suitable, neighboring habitat.
Eliminating Common Attractants
The most effective long-term solution is to remove the resources that initially drew the hedgehog to the property. Hedgehogs are primarily attracted by readily available food sources and safe nesting locations. A major draw is pet food, particularly meaty dog or cat food left outside overnight.
All outdoor pet food and water bowls should be brought inside before dusk to eliminate this attractant. Spilled birdseed or fallen fruit should also be regularly cleared, as these provide secondary food sources. Open compost heaps and wood piles offer ideal, dark, and secluded nesting sites, known as hibernacula. These should be secured or moved to the perimeter of the property.
A garden rich in long grass and dense undergrowth provides both shelter and an abundance of prey. By consistently removing these key resources, the area loses its value as a permanent home, prompting the hedgehog to seek sustenance and shelter elsewhere.
Physical Exclusion and Humane Deterrents
Once attractants are removed, physical barriers and modifications can prevent re-entry. Fences installed to exclude hedgehogs must be solid or made of wire mesh with openings smaller than 7.5 centimeters (three inches). The bottom of the fence should be secured to prevent burrowing, ideally by burying it at least 15 to 30 centimeters (six to twelve inches) into the soil, or by using a bent wire apron flush with the ground surface.
For gardens with water features, install an escape ramp, as hedgehogs may drown if they cannot climb out of a steep-sided pond. A simple ramp of wood covered in chicken wire allows for easy exit. Motion-activated sprinklers offer a non-toxic deterrent, as the sudden spray of water startles the animal without causing harm.
Always check dense vegetation, sheds, and especially bonfires before lighting or mowing, as these are common daytime resting or nesting sites. Simple habitat modification and consistent resource removal are often superior to commercial chemical deterrents.