Hedgehog ticks

Hedgehogs found with tiny grey or white blobs – ticks – between their spines are one of the most common ailments that people contact me about. They are often seen on poorly hedgehogs found out in the day and they are also frequently spotted by people using night cameras to monitor hedgehogs in their gardens.

Where are ticks found?

Ticks are found in the natural environment and, worryingly, their numbers are growing – see the UK Tick Threat Map. It is completely normal for a hedgehog to pick up a few ticks. Anything more than a few though, could possibly be a sign of illness.

Ticks insert their mouth-parts into their host and suck their blood. They can carry all sorts of nasties and, if a tick regurgitates its stomach contents into a host, it can cause all kinds of problems from blood poisoning through to Lyme Disease, Bordetalla or Encephalitis. They can also cause their host to become anaemic if there are multiple ticks sucking their blood.

Ticks will naturally fall off when they are full (of blood) and should only be removed if you are certain that you can remove them correctly to ensure that the tick does not regurgitate its stomach contents.

Removing hedgehog ticks

I use a tick removal tool (tick lasso) that has a special loop and is designed for the correct removal of ticks.

You must NEVER

• Burn off a tick
• Use creams, oils or other products
• Pull them off
• Use flat bladed tweezers as these can squash the body but leave the mouth parts in the host

If you are in any doubt, please contact a hedgehog rescue for advice.

If you are a hedgehog rescue or help with hedgehogs, there is a risk that ticks could pass onto you from a hedgehog in care. Please always check your skin thoroughly after handling any hedgehogs. You can read more about Lyme Disease, passed on via tick bites, here.

Along with ticks, hedgehogs can occasionally be found with fleas although this is very rare and may also be a sign of illness. Orphaned hoglets are also often afflicted.

Learn to help hedgehogs

If you would like to learn more about how to help hedgehogs, including wild hedgehog first aid, I run online hedgehog courses aimed at all levels of knowledge and experienced. My advanced courses are also ideal for those who are working alongside a hedgehog rescue.

About me

I have many years experience as a wild hedgehog rehabilitator and I am currently busy transforming an acre of the Yorkshire Wolds into a wildlife haven. If you’ve found the information on this website useful, please consider making a donation to help me continue my vital work. You might also like my british wildlife jewellery that comes with information about how to help hedgehogs.