British Hedgehog Preservation Society

We hope you all enjoy your long weekend. Even though the weather forecast isn't great many will still be doing improvements in the garden. Please take care when cutting grass - with strimmers or lawn mowers, long grass and over grown areas should be cut down in stages and checked before the next cut. Bonfires should be relocated before lighting, but please move carefully, there are nests with babies in now, so if you do find a nest please replace as you found and leave in peace. Holes for fences or foundations should be covered and checked to make sure nothing has fallen in. If you are putting a fence up please leave a 5"x5" gap for hedgehog access and lastly, please avoid using chemicals like slug pellets or weedkillers. Fingers crossed for some nice weather!

Good reminder from Terry Weightman who has found a hedgehog in an outdoor swimming pool, it's been rescued and is recovering, but please remember to keep pond and pool levels topped up and provide and escape route. Hedgehogs are good swimmers but struggle with steep slippery sides of ponds and pools, in ponds a sloping edge is great or half submerged rocks, or a 'ladder' of some sort for them to climb out. In pools you could try leaving some polystyrene floats in there to help, and check them frequently for any casualties needing help.