Overview
Hedgehogs need somewhere to hibernate in winter, so here's your chance to provide them with a cosy home. This wooden hedgehog house should entice them away from bonfire stacks and ensure they stay in your garden ready to feast on slugs in the spring.
Do it:
September - November
Takes just:
A couple of hours
How to do it
-
Start by making the tunnel for the hedgehog house. Cut the timber into four 30cm lengths and nail them together lengthways. -
Use a jig saw to cut a hole 11cm x 15cm out of one side of the crate at the base.
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Attach the tunnel to the crate by nailing it from the inside. -
Drill a hole in the back of the crate and insert the hose, for ventilation. -
Fill the crate with dry leaves and replace the lid. Hide the hedgehog house amongst soil and leaves, ensuring the entrance and air pipe are free of debris.
"Protect the hedgehog house from cold winds, by ensuring the house doesn't face north or north-east."
"If your local wine store doesn't have any spare crates, buy some extra timber and make one instead."
Comments and rating
Overall rating (from 7 ratings):
4 out of 5
Have been busy building a bumble bee house since I looked at the instructions on your site. Thanks for something so sensible, I was bought a bumble bee house as a present that actually looked like a house! No takers for that so far. feel your design willbe more successful!!
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4 out of 5
I don't think there are any wooden wine crates to get in Sweden, where I live, so it would be helpful to have an approximate measure of the house. Do hedgehogs hibernate together (so more could use the house if I make it larger), or would a larger house just be a waste of the warmth a single hedgehog produces?
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That looks great - I'd love to have hedgehogs nesting in my garden. I was wondering though - would rats nest in it? If so, how would you stop them?
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We had a tiny hodgeheg snuffling around our garden so im going to try and build a house for him/her to snuggle down in winter. when the spring comes, there are hundreds of slugs to wakeup to and have a big feed. Thankyou for showing me how to make the house.
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would be helpful if we could access the answers to the queries!!!!!
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4 out of 5
I don't know if it will attract hedgehogs but making a house has kept a teenager happy all afternoon. Any hogs will be a bonus.
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5 out of 5
I have schematic for a hedgehog house that's relatively square with a push on lid. The sizes are : 18 inches x 15 inchesx 9.5 inches. Hope this helps - wish I could include a picture for you
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Just reading the wildlife comments.Somebody asks if rats would nest in a hedgehog house? If so how do you stop this?I would also like the answer to this question but your sectioin does not allow the reader to view the answers.Please help.
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4 out of 5
4 out of 5
luckyhappymar rated and commented on this article
26 April 2009
5 out of 5
A hedgehog came in the kitchen last night so I will build him/her a house and put it near the back door!!! Thanks for a great web site
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