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How to make a hedgehog house

in Home : Projects: Wildlife gardening

You will need

  • Wooden wine crate
  • 1.2m length of 15cm x 2cm untreated timber
  • 25mm galvanised nails
  • 1m length of hosepipe
  • Jig saw, drill and hammer
  • 25mm drill bit
Do it: all year round
Takes just: A couple of hours

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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.

How to do it

Nailing timber together

1Start by making the tunnel for the hedgehog house. Cut the timber into four 30cm lengths and nail them together lengthways.

2Use a jig saw to cut a hole 11cm x 15cm out of one side of the crate at the base.

Nailing tunnel to crate

3Attach the tunnel to the crate by nailing it from the inside.

Inserting hose for ventilation

4Drill a hole in the back of the crate and insert the hose, for ventilation.

Hedgehog house

5Fill 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.

Adam's tip

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.

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Talkback: How to make a hedgehog house
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jackienichols 24/11/2011 at 15:27

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!!

luckyhappymar 24/11/2011 at 15:27

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

ursula_sweden 24/11/2011 at 15:28

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?

dgallimore 24/11/2011 at 15:28

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?

ebbypea 24/11/2011 at 15:28

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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