How to choose a hedgehog house
What should you consider when choosing a hedgehog box/hedgehog house for your wildlife garden?
I recommend choosing a sturdy wooden hedgehog nest box – the best that you can afford. Please always avoid igloo type hedgehog houses. These do not provide sufficient protection against predators and the elements. The wire mesh can also cause a hazard – with the potential for limbs to become trapped.
🏠 Make sure the hedgehog house is dry Choose a sturdy wooden design that has feet to raise it off the ground. This helps prevent ground water from penetrating the hedgehog house. Make sure the lid is waterproofed. A good quality roofing felt is perfect. A pitched roof will also help water drain away from the house.
📏 Make sure your hedgehog house is big enough: Many cheaper boxes are not big enough. It should be large enough to accommodate a large family sized loaf of bread, with a separate entrance area.
🍃 Make sure the hedgehog house is predator proof. An internal wall inside helps to prevent predators entering the house. A long entrance tunnel can also help. The entrance to the house/tunnel needs to be a minimum of 5inches square – the same size as a hedgehog highway. Note that many cheaper hedgehog houses have entrances that are too small.
💧 Ensure your hedgehog house is waterproof: Only use wildlife friendly water based paint and on the outside, NEVER on the inside. NEVER use creosote or non-water-based preservatives or paint because the fumes can be toxic to hedgehogs.
🛠️ If you are building your own hedgehog house, only use untreated wood and consider sustainability and where the wood is sourced from. Please take a look at my DIY hedgehog house guide.
Where to buy your hedgehog house:
Many hedgehog rescues sell hedgehog houses made by local tradespeople. These are often great quality and can help raise funds.
Hedgehog houses from Hedgehogsrus include a 10% donation to hedgehog rescue.
Riverside hedgehog houses are well constructed and good quality. They also sell compatible cat-proof tunnels and versions with night cameras https://www.riversidewoodcraft.co.uk/collections/hedgehog-houses
The RSPB offer a good range of wooden hedgehog nest boxes.
What to put in your hedgehog house?
Hedgehog houses are for sleeping. Don’t put food in it. Provide a separate hedgehog cafe.
Read my guide to what bedding to use in your hedgehog nest box.
Where to put your hedgehog box
It is vitally important to locate your hedgehog nest box in the right location. Failing to attract a hedgehog to use your box could well be because it is in the wrong position. Read my guide here.
I hope you have found this guide useful. If you’d like to find out more about how to help hedgehogs in your garden, I run online hedgehog care courses for all levels of knowledge.
I also make silver jewellery inspired by nature and wildlife to raise funds for my wildlife work. All my jewellery arrives gift boxed with a rescue hedgehog postcard and information about how to help wild hedgehogs.
Little Silver Hedgehog 