November 3, 2026

Think Hedgehog this Halloween and  Bonfire Night!

Curious hedgehogs, putting on the pounds for their winter hibernation, will eat discarded pumpkin. However, this can cause stomach upset, dehydration and  sometimes death. So, rather than leaving your discraded pumpkins by the roadside, please consider putting them straight into compost, or on a raised table, so squirrels and birds, to whom the pumpkin is no threat, can benefit.

You should also think hedgehog when setting up a bonfire this 5th of November.

These  four tips from the Wildlife Trust should enable a hedgehog friendly bonfire:

• Store materials for your bonfire  in a safe place – then on the day you want to light it, move them to a different patch of ground.
 
• Build the bonfire on the same day that you will light it. The longer it’s left for, the more likely it is that a hedgehog will wander in.
 
• Always place the bonfire on open ground – never on a pile of leaves as a hedgehog may be hiding underneath.
 
• Always check the entire bonfire for hedgehogs before lighting it. They tend to hide in the base of the centre of the pile. 
 

The hedgehogs send their thanks!

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