Autumn has arrived and that can only mean one thing… hedgehogs!

Did you know as many as 10 different hedgehogs may visit a garden over several nights? This means 'your hedgehog' could actually be a number of different ones visiting at different times!

Hedgehogs are a gardener's friend, as they eat beetles, caterpillars, worms and other invertebrates, however the hedgehog population has seen a rapid decline in recent years, with now less than 900,000 thought to be in the UK! To give you some idea of just how huge a decrease this is, in the 1950s there was estimated to be around 30 million ‘hogs present!

Whether you live in a rural area, or an urban setting, hedgehogs will be present, so here are a few tips on how you can encourage hedgehogs to thrive in your garden.

• It was always thought that milk and bread was the perfect food for hedgehogs, however they are actually lactose intolerant so feeding them this can have a devastating effect. Instead, leave out fresh water, specialist hedgehog food (available from most pet shops) tinned dog/cat food, and crushed dog/cat biscuits.

• Create a hedgehog home by arranging piles of logs, leaves or compost for them to nest in. Not only will it protect them, but it will also encourage a range of insects that hedgehogs like to eat.

• Create a hedgehog highway by cutting a gap in your fence or gate, removing a brick or two from a wall, or digging a tunnel under your garden boundary. Hedgehogs can travel through gaps as small as 13cm x 13cm so they don’t need to be especially large.

• As Bonfire Night is approaching, remember to check underneath your bonfire for hedgehogs who have taken residence there.

If you disturb a hibernating hedgehog, gently put it back into its nest, re-cover it with the nest material and leave it alone. If this isn't possible - for example, because the nesting site has already been destroyed - then place the hedgehog in a part of the garden where it will be safe and sheltered, with as much of the original nest as possible.

Sick and injured hedgehogs are susceptible to hypothermia and will require urgent help. If you witness a hedgehog ‘staggering’, surrounded by flies, or ‘sunbathing’ in an attempt to get heat back into its body, you may need to take action! Gently bring the hedgehog indoors, place it in a box or carrier with a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel underneath it (do not let the water go cold). Cover the hedgehog with a towel or blanket and offer some meaty dog or cat food, and water. Contact the British Hedgehog Preservation Society on 01584 890 801for further information and advice on caring for a sick or injured ‘hog.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) also has an excellent website full of tips and advice at www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk.