UK Gardeners Urged To Do This ‘Small Act Of Kindness’ In April

I’m still reeling from last week’s sunshine – finally, I can feel the effects of spring.

That means our garden is a lot louder, the trees are a lot more colourful, and (perhaps less charmingly) I’ve already had my first midge bite.

According to Andrew Ward, an ecologist from Arbtech, however, the springtime awakening of hibernating animals might be tougher on them than we realise.

“Emerging from hibernation can be a stressful time for animals and a time where they are at their weakest,” he told us.

“But there are ways that you can help wildlife to emerge into a safe, hazard-free environment,” the expert contained – one of which involves a saucer of water.

Hedgehogs, who leave their winter slumber in March and April, can emerge “weak and hungry after conserving energy throughout the winter months with little to no food,” Ward said.

That’s why providing them with food and water can be so helpful.

“Having fresh water available in a birdbath or shallow dishes around your garden” is a “small act of kindness” that can make all the difference to groggy hedgehogs and birds, he continues.

Additionally, he advises against trimming back hedges or using any pesticides at the moment, as nesting birds and weakened hibernators are especially active and may be more likely to fall victim of their toxins.

While Ward advises us to leave “high-energy foods like seeds for birds,” feeding hedgehogs may be best done with wet cat food. This contains lots of meat and not much else, making it very easy for hedgehogs to digest.

Even specially designed hedgehog food can make them sick – it often contains too many mealworms to keep the animals safe, and can lead to metabolic bone disease.

“There are many unscrupulous companies keen to cash in on the growing army of kind people trying to halt the hedgehog’s decline, and will happily sell little more than floor sweeping of the cheapest, most unsuitable products, all wrapped up with a nice picture of a cute hedgehog, at the highest possible price,” Hedgehog Cabin warns.

Completely avoid feeding them things like milk and bread as these too can make them sick.

Instead, give them what experts say they need: a saucer of water and another offering of wet cat food.