This bonfire night, Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes are reminding its customers to spare a thought for their prickly pals.
The local homebuilder has already joined forces with the RSPB to set up a new benchmark in wildlife friendly developments and is now encouraging households to watch out for hedgehogs that may be taking shelter in pre-lit bonfires.
It is estimated that there are fewer than a million hedgehogs remaining in Britain and they have been officially registered vulnerable to extinction. Hedgehogs have been declining in both urban environments due to busy roads and impenetrable walls and in the countryside due to predators, poor habitats and pesticides.
Louise Ware, sales director for Barratt David Wilson Homes South West said: “Our partnership with the RSPB is extremely important to us and we want to work closely with our customers and communities to ensure our British wildlife is preserved at our developments.
Louise added: “It is important to remember our smaller prickly neighbours this winter and following these simple steps to protect hedgehog habitats can make a world of difference”.
Andrea Pilgrim, sales director for Barratt Homes Bristol said: “We are proud to have installed a great number of hedgehog highways across the majority of our homes. As well as feature brand-new hedgehog homes at our sales complex’s, they are a simple but very effective way that we can make our gardens hedgehog friendly.
“We encourage all new homeowners to keep these holes open to allow hedgehogs to pass through, as well as other animals like frogs and toads that may choose to make their home in your garden.”
Barratt Homes have teamed up with the RSPB to create RSPB Gold, Silver and Bronze accredited show home gardens that encourage nature to thrive by providing food, through nectar and pollen-rich plants, plus water and shelter to attract insects, animals and birds.
As well as this, there is plenty that we can all do to help reverse the decline in hedgehog numbers. Barratt Homes offers seven top tips on how to transform your gardens into a hedgehog haven this autumn and protect them hedgehogs this coming bonfire night.
- When lighting a bonfire, be sure to try and build the bonfire on the day you want to light it and as close to the time you intend to light it. This will prevent the hedgehog from setting up camp. If this isn’t possible then before you light the bonfire, manually check it for any hedgehogs, as piles of wood and branches can seem like the perfect place to hibernate for the winter. When lighting a bonfire, always light from a corner not the centre, this will give the hedgehogs plenty of chance to escape.
- If you do find a distressed hedgehog on bonfire night, put on a pair of garden gloves and transfer the hedgehog to a shoebox, make sure to fill the box with leaves and grass to make it homely. Make sure there are air holes in the top of the box before fastening it shut. Put the box in a quiet place, such as a garden shed. Once the festivities are over, release the hedgehog into a bush or grassy area.
- Put out fresh water for hedgehogs in the garden but don’t feed them milk as they are lactose intolerant. Tinned meaty cat or dog food and even dry cat or dog food is a useful addition to a hedgehog’s diet.
- Avoid using pesticides as that can reduce the food supply and is harmful for hedgehogs if ingested. Hedgehogs feed on snails, slugs and caterpillars so can take over as pest control.
- Keep your gardens a bit messy this autumn and winter, piles of leaves provide the perfect cover for hedgehogs if they wake up from hibernation in search of food. Sweeping leaves into a quiet corner of the garden makes the perfect spot for hedgehogs. Be sure to be careful when turning over compost as hedgehogs love to set up camp there too.
- Hedgehogs are good runners and travellers and can travel around a mile a night in search of food or shelter. Putting a small 13cm by 13cm hole in the bottom of your garden fence, can allow them more opportunities to roam around in search of a mate or food.
- Make sure to cover drains and holes in your garden, as a hedgehog may fall in and ensure there is an escape route in ponds. Always check for hedgehogs before using strimmer’s or mowers, particularly under hedges and leaf litter piles where they could be resting.
For more inspiration and guidance on how to help your local hedgehogs and other wildlife, please visit the RSPB’s Nature on Your Doorstep: www.rspb.org.uk/NatureOnYourDoorstep
The new community at Wichelstowe covers 600 acres on the southern edge of Swindon. In addition to 208 new homes already delivered at Canalside @ Wichelstowe, the 250-acre site also includes Waitrose, Hall & Woodhouse bar and restaurant and community facilities. Once complete, there will be 200 acres of open space, 12km of new footways and cycleways, 1.5 acres of allotments and 20 acres of play areas and sports pitches.
To find out more about Barratt Homes Wichel Field@Wichelstowe and Orchards Rise@Wichelstowe visit their website: Barratt Homes or call 0333 3558 490.
