What do hedgehogs eat? And how to feed them

Are you lucky enough to have a hedgehog visiting your outdoor space? These much-loved mammals are in trouble, but you can attract hedgehogs to your garden with food, water and shelter and make a difference. Here’s our guide to what hedgehogs can and can’t eat, when you should feed them and other hedgehog facts.

Why help hedgehogs?

Helping hedgehogs brings us the joy of interacting with the natural world, but can make a real difference for this struggling species too. Their numbers have dropped dramatically, with populations in rural areas declining by between a third and three-quarters nationally since 2000. In urban areas, hedgehog numbers might be starting to recover thanks to people's efforts in their gardens and green spaces.

What do hedgehogs eat?

Insects and other invertebrates are the hedgehog’s main natural food source. In the wild, hedgehogs typically like to eat:

• beetles

• earwigs

• caterpillars

• earthworms

• slugs

• millipedes

• fly larvae.

Nocturnal hedgehogs snuffle through the undergrowth in woodland, farmland, parks and gardens to hunt their prey and use their keen sense of smell and hearing to catch anything they disturb. While creepy crawlies are top of the menu, hedgehogs are opportunistic eaters and will munch carrion, fallen fruit and birds' eggs if they come across them.

It’s thought a lack of food may be a factor in the hedgehog’s decline as agricultural intensification and pesticide use have reduced invertebrate numbers.

What to feed hedgehogs

As opportunistic eaters, hedgehogs will happily munch food you leave out. The best things to feed hedgehogs in your garden are:

• meat-based cat food or dog food

• specially-made hedgehog food

• cat biscuits.

It’s not clear how much urban hedgehogs rely on food provided by people, but it’s thought to supplement rather than replace their natural diet.

What not to feed hedgehogs

When feeding hedgehogs, avoid:

• bread, which has little nutritional value.

• bird food including mealworms, seed and peanuts, as these are thought to cause health problems when eaten in large quantities

• fruit and veg like apples, cucumber, strawberries or carrots. Hedgehogs can’t digest them properly and they could cause upset stomachs and tooth decay.

When to feed hedgehogs

It's a good idea to put out food for hedgehogs all year round. In spring, it will be a boost for those emerging from hibernation, while in late summer and autumn it will help them build up those all-important fat reserves to survive the colder months.

During winter, it’s worth keeping an eye on weather forecasts and offering food when mild nights are expected too. Hedgehog hibernation isn’t constant. As their fat reserves deplete, many wake up to search for food before going back to sleep, especially youngsters born later in the year. A bowl of cat biscuits left undercover will stay dry and edible for at least a week.

Make a hedgehog feeding station

Help protect food and water from weather, debris and pets by making a simple feeding station. Use whatever’s to hand to make a shelter with a small entrance and a tunnel or sharp angle that prevents pets or foxes stealing food. My well-visited station is just a few bricks with a small opening and a large slab on top that lifts off to place food in the corner.

If you’re lucky enough to have several hedgehogs visiting, it might be worth splitting food over two or three stations to reduce aggression and make sure everyone gets their fair share! Remember to clean them regularly.

What do hedgehogs drink?

A shallow dish of water can be a lifeline for hedgehogs and other wildlife, especially during a hot, dry summer.

Contrary to popular belief, hogs are lactose intolerant and milk can make them ill, so please only offer them water.

More ways to help hedgehogs

Make a hedgehog highway

For hedgehogs to enjoy your efforts, they need easy access to your outdoor space. An individual can range over a mile in one evening, but gardens with impenetrable walls and fences make it difficult for them to move around. Create a 'hedgehog highway' - a space of just 13 x 13cm to allow any hedgehog to get in and out. You could ask neighbours' permission to make the gap in any shared boundaries, and encourage them to do the same on all sides to help local hedgehogs travel even further.

Attract minibeasts

Encourage hedgehogs to your garden by making it a haven for their natural prey. A log pile, wild patch of lawn or compost heap will be appealing habitat for creepy crawlies. Hedgehogs need sheltered spaces to sleep during the day and hibernate through winter, so these can all be used by resting hogs too and are great ways to make a hedgehog-friendly garden.

Give a hog a home

Add a hedgehog house to a quiet, shaded corner of your garden for the best chance of a hedgehog moving in. You can buy a readymade one or follow our guide to make your own.

Plant a tree or hedge

Hedges are an important habitat for hedgehogs and with so much food and shelter, it’s one of the best ways to support other wildlife too. Adding a hedge or shrubs like hawthorn, hazel and alder buckthorn will protect and feed lots of insects for hedgehogs to feast on. Or plant a deciduous tree that will provide plenty of leaf litter to forage in and use for nest building. Don't worry if you have a small garden - species like crab apple are ideal for smaller spaces.