Page 10 - Allotment Gardener Issue 1 2024

SPIKY
FRIENDS
Hedgehogs are consistently voted amongst Britain’s favourite wild animals and yet their numbers have been declining. The decline has got so severe that they were recently classified as ‘vulnerable to extinction’.
l Slug pellets & other pesticides – we would ask that you don’t use slug pellets at all. If you really insist on using them, use sparingly in the middle of a narrow pipe or under a slab raised just off the ground with pebbles and pick up the dead slugs and snails as soon as possible. Read the directions for use before you use the product. Much better to use organic methods that don’t risk harming hedgehogs or other animals and damaging the food chain.
l Bonfires – move the entire pile to a new site on clear ground just before setting fire to it. This should ensure that no hedgehog (or other wildlife or pet) has made a home in the material. Always light the checked pile from one side only to offer an escape route for anything you may have missed.
l Sheds – do not suddenly decide to keep doors closed which have previously been left open for some weeks without first checking that there is no nesting hedgehog inside. Keep chemicals, oil etc. in sheds out of reach of
Most of us are thrilled to spot one in the garden or on the allotment, but it’s becoming an increasingly rare sight. And if hedgehogs are in trouble, it raises concerns about other species and the environment in general. If we take action to improve things for hedgehogs, we will help lots of other wildlife too.
Hedgehogs are considered the gardener’s friend as they can help keep some garden pests under control. Allotments can have several hazards, but with a bit of thought they can provide safe havens for hedgehogs, who in turn will help the gardeners – a win-win situation. Here are the British Hedgehog Prevention Society’s top tips for helping the hedgehogs on your allotment:
l Netting – keep all garden netting a foot above the ground so the hedgehogs can safely pass under it and will not try to go through it and become stuck.
l Compost – a compost heap is an ideal place for a hedgehog to make a nest and rear its young. So, take care when turning the heap; one thrust of a fork can easily kill more than one baby hedgehog.
The safest time to carefully spread the heap is probably October when most babies have left their mum and adults have not yet started to hibernate. Partly used bags of compost may also have nesting hedgehogs in them.
10 | Issue 1 2024 | Allotment Gardener