How to Build a Hedgehog Home in Your Garden

Why a Hedgehog Needs a Hand

Hedgehogs have been part of British gardens for centuries, snuffling through borders and leaving their unmistakable droppings on the lawn. But their numbers have fallen sharply, and the tidy modern garden is partly to blame. Decking, paving, gravel beds and neat fences have squeezed out the rough, leaf-strewn corners where hedgehogs once nested, hibernated and raised their hoglets.

A hedgehog home is a simple thing: a small wooden box with a tunnel entrance, tucked into a quiet corner and filled with dry leaves. It costs very little, takes an afternoon to build, and can genuinely mean the difference between a hedgehog surviving the winter and not. Hedgehogs usually hibernate from around November to March, though mild winters mean some stay active on and off. Either way, they need somewhere dry, dark and undisturbed.

What You Will Need

You do not need a workshop full of tools. A basic kit will do:

• Untreated timber — roughly 12mm plywood or reclaimed boards. Avoid timber that has been soaked in creosote or heavy preservatives.
• A saw, drill, screwdriver and wood screws, plus a few galvanised nails if you prefer.
• A waterproof roof covering — roofing felt, heavy-duty polythene or a piece of pond liner, folded over the top.
• Dry leaves, straw or shredded paper for bedding.
• A couple of bricks to raise the box off the ground and a stone to weigh the roof down.

Aim for an internal floor space of about 40cm by 30cm, with walls around 20cm to 25cm high. The entrance tunnel should run about 15cm long and be roughly 13cm square — wide enough for a hedgehog, narrow enough to put off cats and foxes.

Building the Box Step by Step

Screw the four walls to a flat base, leaving a gap in one wall for the tunnel. Fit the tunnel itself as a short, open-ended tube attached over that gap, projecting outwards. If you have room, an internal divider creating a small entrance chamber and a darker nesting chamber gives the hedgehog a greater sense of security.

Make the roof sloping and removable, with an overhang of a few centimetres on every side and a strong lip at the lowest edge to throw rainwater clear. Fix it with hooks and eyes, or simply weight it down — you will want to lift it occasionally to check on the bedding, and a hinged roof makes that far easier. Cover the roof with your waterproof material and tack it down well.

Drill a couple of small ventilation holes near the top of the back wall. Hedgehogs need fresh air, but they do not want a draught at floor level. Sand any rough edges, and check there are no sharp screw tips poking into the nesting space.

Siting It Safely

Placement matters as much as construction. Choose a quiet, sheltered corner, ideally under a hedge, behind a shed or beside a log pile. Face the entrance away from the prevailing wind and away from direct midday sun — a north- or east-facing position usually works well.

Stand the box on bare earth or soil, never on paving or concrete, and raise it slightly on bricks so it does not sit in standing water. Make sure it is stable; a wobbling box will not be used. Once in place, pile dry leaves and a little soil over the roof and around the sides to blend it in, leaving the tunnel clear. Weight the roof with a stone or brick so it cannot blow off in a gale.

Keep it well away from bonfire heaps, which are irresistible to hedgehogs and dangerous when lit, and away from busy patios and barbecue areas.

Bedding and Winter Care

Fill the nesting chamber loosely with dry leaves — oak and beech are ideal — along with straw or shredded paper. Avoid hay, which turns mouldy quickly in damp conditions, and never use grass clippings. The hedgehog will rearrange the bedding to suit itself and often add more material from the garden.

From November through March, leave the box alone. Resist the urge to lift the roof and check. If you must look, do it gently, briefly, and never between December and February when a hibernating hedgehog is at its most vulnerable. In spring, once the weather has warmed, clean out old bedding and replace it with fresh dry leaves.

If you see a hedgehog out in the open during freezing weather or in broad daylight, something is wrong. It may be underweight, injured or unwell. Contact a local wildlife rescue for advice rather than trying to keep it warm yourself.

Making the Whole Garden Welcoming

A hedgehog home works best when the garden around it is hedgehog-friendly. A few small changes go a long way:

• Cut a 13cm square gap at the base of fences and walls so hedgehogs can move between gardens.
• Leave a shallow dish of fresh water out, especially in dry spells.
• Avoid slug pellets and other chemical pest controls, which are lethal to hedgehogs.
• Leave a wild corner with long grass, logs and fallen leaves.
• Check long grass and compost heaps before strimming or forking them over.

Be patient. A new box may sit empty for a season before a hedgehog finds it. When the leaves inside are rearranged, or you spot a neat pile of droppings near the tunnel, you will know your quiet corner has become a winter refuge — and that is a fine thing to have built with your own hands.