Barratt Homes teams up with RSPB to protect hedgehogs
By Laura Enfield | 2nd November 2022
Homebuilder Barratt Homes has teamed up with the RSPB to help protect hedgehogs this Bonfire Night and beyond.
It has reminded its customers in Gloucestershire to check for the prickly pals before lighting any fires and dished out top tips to help prevent the decline of the species.
There are estimated to be fewer than a million hedgehogs remaining in Britain and they are registered vulnerable to extinction.
They are dying out in urban areas due to busy roads and impenetrable walls and in the countryside due to predators, poor habitats and pesticides.
Barratt Homes has joined forces with the RSPB to set up a new benchmark in wildlife friendly developments.
It has created RSPB Gold, Silver and Bronze accredited show home gardens that encourage nature to thrive by providing nectar and pollen-rich plants and water and shelter to attract insects, animals and birds.
It has also installed hedgehog highways at its Great Oldbury development in Stonehouse and hedgehog homes at its sales complex's.
Andrea Pilgrim, sales director for Barratt Homes Bristol ,said: "We want to work closely with our customers and communities to ensure our British wildlife is preserved at our developments.
"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.
"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."
Here are Barratt Homes' top tips for helping hedgehogs this winter.
1) Build bonfires on the day you want to light them to prevent hedgehogs from setting up camp.
2) Check for hibernating hedgehogs before lighting and start the fire from a corner not the centre, to allow time for animals to escape.
3) If you find a distressed hedgehog, put on gardening gloves to pick it up and put it in a fastened box with leaves , grass and air holes. Put the box in a quiet place, such as a garden shed until festivities are over, and then release it into a bush or grassy area.
4) Put out cat or dog food and fresh water but not milk as hedgehogs are lactose intolerant.
5) Avoid using pesticides. Hedgehogs feed on snails, slugs and caterpillars so can take over as pest control.
6) Keep your gardens a bit messy as piles of leaves provide the perfect cover for hedgehogs if they wake up from hibernation in search of food. Look out for them when turning over compost and before using strimmer's or mowers.
7) Hedgehogs can travel around a mile in 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.
8) Cover drains and holes and ensure there is an escape route in ponds.
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