Cardboard homes for hedgehogs

It's a good time to make a hedgehog box as they're searching for cosy hibernation homes right now. This takes a couple of hours to make.

Get a banana box (with the top and bottom together they're pretty sturdy) from your supermarket. Pull the top and bottom apart slightly so that the holes in the two halves no longer line up – this will give the hogs some extra headroom. Tape the two halves together with strong tape.

Taking care not to cut yourself, cut a 150cm square door in the box and fold it down at the bottom, like a tiny drawbridge. Cut two 50 x 150cm ventilation slots in each side. Cover the big hole in the top of the box with a big flap made from more cardboard and strong tape.

For the best chance of any homeless hedgehogs finding something they like, place the box in a sheltered spot in the garden with the door facing southish. Make a small air gap under the box by balancing it on stones. This will also keep damp to a minimum.

The inside needs bedding material. Collecting dry grass is the best option, but shredded newspaper is apparently OK. You could pick up some straw and hay from a pet shop.

Pour a load of dry leaves over the top of the box for extra insulation. To keep the box dryish and to stop the leaves from blowing away, cover the top with a carrier bag that's been cut open or a bin liner. Take care not to block ventilation holes though.

You'll need to prevent the whole lot from blowing away. To do that, and to add extra protection, I heavily pruned an overgrown bush in the yard and piled its cut branches on top of my hog house. It then looked just like a small bonfire and as bonfires are notorious for attracting hibernating hedgehogs I found the look quite heartening.

Then it's just fingers crossed for a hedgehog. A good way of checking if anything's using your box is to put something light, like dry grass or leaves, around the entrance. If it gets moved aside, I reckon that's a good sign!

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