This week I won a hedgehog house from a wildlife photography competition, a first sight it looks like a good sturdy box and well made and it is. It doesn't have many features but I'll explain what it does have in the review below. I would like to say thank you to the Sutton Biodiversity team who ran the fair and competition and hedgehog street who donated this house to the competition prizes.
Biodiversity website - http://suttonnature.wordpress.com
Hedgehog street - http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/
Biodiversity website - http://suttonnature.wordpress.com
Hedgehog street - http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/
The House
This hedgehog house has been tested and designed by the hedgehog preservation society and so you know your getting a good quality product straight away. It incorprates many of the good features from previous hedgehog houses and it has its own tunnel entrance, nesting section and ventilation and drainage holes.
The roof is detachable for easy cleaning and inspection. The house weighs about 5.6 Kg and has the dimensions H-22cm W-38cm & L-47cm
The roof is detachable for easy cleaning and inspection. The house weighs about 5.6 Kg and has the dimensions H-22cm W-38cm & L-47cm
Features
- Fully built-in tunnel with large square access for even the largest hedgehog to avoid unwanted visitors
- Raised step at entrance to enable the box to be partially buried
- Hedgehog nesting area away from the tunnel entrance
- It has a low roof for snug nesting
- The ventilation keeps it at a suitable temperature but also stops draughts of wind from affecting the hedgehog
- The roof comes off for inspection and cleaning
- There are drainage holes in the corners of the hedgehog box to help get rid off any water which might enter the house during heavy rainfall
The box is covered in resin bonded ply on the outside although the inside isn't treated. When situating try and find a quiet space where you won't disturb it whilst gardening often, to add a more natural look and help with insulation you can cover it in leaves and bits of sticks/branches from the garden.
Logos
The hedgehog house I received was from the nestbox company on the internet, therefore they had added there own logo on the front of the box and a QR code which links to their website on the back of the box. Both seemed easily removable but It didn't bother me so I left them on it, I know this box is sold elsewhere on the web and each company seems to add their own sticker/brand name onto it.
Construction Notes
The house has two wooden bases as shown below that are on the bottom of the house. They keep the house balanced and sturdy on uneven ground, I don't know if they make it tilt but if they don't you may want to consider putting it at a really small slope to help with drainage and stop puddles forming.
The roof has inserts to correctly match up the roof with the sides of the hedgehog house and keep it sturdy. At the front it is the opposite way round with a piece of wood protruding from the roof. It feels quite heavy and I doubt a predator could get the roof off but I would suggest putting a brick on top before covering the top in leafs just to make sure any hedgehogs that do use it are nice and safe.
To Note...
You should be aware that the house has four drainage holes - one in each of the four corners. This means that in the unlikely event that rain gets in or the hedgehog brings in or gives out wet material the liquid will drain away and and leave it dry and cosy inside.
The house is held together by staples... don't worry there a lot stronger than your 'home' staples. It feels strong and I would put my trust that it won't fall apart.
The house is held together by staples... don't worry there a lot stronger than your 'home' staples. It feels strong and I would put my trust that it won't fall apart.
Helping Hedgehogs
Hedgehog numbers are in a serious decline, but there are a few ways to help them out. Firstly if you know one hedgehog or more visits your garden regularly then tell a main hedgehog group or a organisation like Gigl so the data of hedgehogs can be kept up to date. If you don't tell them there there, then they can't just assume they are there! You can put out food and water for the hedgehogs too, just place it in a saucer or even invest in a hedgehog feeding station. For more info of food they like visit hedgehog street. Be careful... try not to use milk as they are lactose intolerant |
Another easy way to help hedgehogs is to link gardens. Hedgehogs need a large area to roam - maybe even the size of a golf course - they don't just stay in your garden... sorry to disappoint. Often we don't leave any space for hedgehogs to get into our garden, by creating a hole in the bottom of a fence or digging a gap under a fence we can encourage the movement of hedgehogs. It would be a good idea to talk to your neighbours about the possibility of them making a gap too to help the movement of hedgehogs and other smaller animals that people don't think about. Try and make at least one gap on each side of fence you have so more than one garden can then be linked.
ConclusionThe box was designed for hibernation or breeding and I hope to get a hedgehog in it in the future. I situated it in a quiet spot where bamboo and trees cover it from above which will be useful during rainfall to keep it dry. The box is well made and seems to be up to the job. The entrance hole is big enough for hedgehogs and small enough to not let cats and other predators in. The drainage seems to be alright and it's very spacious inside allowing more nesting material to be brought in. With more nesting material it mean more insulation. Draught free and temperature efficient with a in-built tunnel to protect nesting area form entrance hole. A few logos but i'm sure you'll cope and if you really don't like them then you could probably get them off easily. I would recommend this box to anyone interest in getting a hedgehog home but to shop around and please consider a local pet of garden centre Also remember to make those really important gaps in or under the fence... maybe a hedgehog will be near you soon! |
RATED - SILVERI had to rate this hedgehog house silver mainly due to its simplicity. Although it had all the features necessary I feel it didn't have that one feature to stand out from the crowd. The waterproof finish is a bonus as well as the drainage holes but a hedgehog information leaflet may have been helpful. A silver medal is still respectable and if looking for a hedgehog house then this could well be the one for you. For future improvements I would suggest the companies selling this house to offer a 'camera ready' box and perhaps offer a different colour. I hope you have found this review helpful and have made up your minds about helping hedgehogs. Please sent your thoughts and views in the comments box below or contact me through my contact page if you would like help with a question. |