This Hedgehog 'hotel' is dangerous to hedgehogs

[AskMeOnce]

These are on sale at Aldi at the moment :-(

I think I have seen one on sale somewhere else, I will check now.

Yes, I had seen it, here. www.haiths.com/igloo-hedgehog-home/
Haiths are a really responsible company, I am sure they would not sell them if they knew they could harm hogs.

Where did you see the original post OP ?

Does anyone know anywhere that sells a good one? We have a little visitor every now and then and would like to encourage him and help keep them safe.

I don’t get the idea that hedgehogs need a specially made house?

The idea is that a sturdy house can give them some extra protection from weather and predators. I have lots of hedgehogs and have never put out a house, but I have thought about it.

@Whatthebloodyell

I don’t get the idea that hedgehogs need a specially made house?

Maybe because we have destroyed their natural habitat?

I saw this post on facebook, I agree that if reputable establishments are selling these then perhaps they have been thoroughly tested after all? But I wouldn't risk something that could potentially ensnare a hedgehog.

Our visiting hedgehog seems content under our shed thank goodness.

My garden is full of wild areas and cover. It isn’t “tidy” . I have loads of hedgehogs because this is good habitat for them, they are undisturbed as I am very careful about what I do when there may be hoglets in a nest somewhere, or in Winter when they will be hibernating.

This was covered by the papers a few days ago:

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/hedgehog-rescue-harm-aldi-houses-animal-charity-b857781.html

It does appear to be based on just one hedgehog being injured. Probably best to avoid them, although as the article says, the RSPB and Woodland Trust sell them. They aren't really suitable for hibernation without extra cover so that's another good reason to avoid them. The Aldi one looks particularly flimsy.

This is the one the British Hedgehog Preservation Society recommends @VictoriaClaire28

shop.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/product/hedgehoghome/

*Myhoodieslongerthanyours

Whatthebloodyell
I don’t get the idea that hedgehogs need a specially made house?
Maybe because we have destroyed their natural habitat?*

What is their natural
Habitat? All the people who I know with hedgehogs in their gardens have them under their sheds! I know that you are always supposed to check
Bonfires for hedgehogs before you light them so I assume that’s what they like. So I don’t overly tidy the garden for winter and I leave sticks and leaves etc piled up in a heap in the hope that a hedgehog will make my garden their
Home.

What is their natural habitat?

Hedgehogs nest/shelter in hedges @Whatthebloodyell!

Sheds might make an useful substitute but the number of hedgerows that have been lost is a lot more than the number of sheds available to sleep under. Hedgehogs don't have a "home" they roam several km a night over their territory so 5 sheds in a neighbourhood could have 20 different hedghogs that stopover, which is a problem if 7 of them all decided to visit that area of their territory on the same night IYSWIM.

There is also the issue that if you took an area the size of a hedghogs' territory (10-20 hectares), a lot of it would be inaccessible to them because of fences. So if a hedgehog can travel 2-3km in a night, there are less suitable resting places and the number of suitable resting places they can access in the space of one night is reduced.

Like whatthebloody I deliberately leave piles of grasses and clippings (some sharp like rose clippings to keep out cats) under shrubs and or hidden in out of the way areas, we do have a big garden with caves (that go for miles) so they can roam happily!

We do have quite a few eating the cat food !

I have this one from the RSPB

shopping.rspb.org.uk/hedgehogs/rspb-silhouette-hedgehog-home.html?ClickType=Text&ListType=&ListName=&Position=12

Pricey but well made. I know we were getting at least two regular visitors last year, but unsure whether we've had any this year. So sad that they are in such decline, they are gorgeous.