Gardeners urged to cut holes in fence in December for this vital reason
UK gardeners are being asked to cut or drill a small hole in their garden fence this winter to help an endangered animal - and also reduce pests like slugs.
The Express reports that hedgehog numbers are down in the UK thanks, in part, to the impact from climate change.
However, modern garden design has also been blamed for their decline, with more people installing tall, solid fences and other barriers in the name of privacy and security.
READ MORE: WASPI women could hear State Pension age change compensation update from DWP next week
READ MORE: People on Universal Credit with health issues could be due up to £1,130 each month
This stops hedgehogs easily moving between gardens, which is bad for the critters. It is also bad news for garden owners as hedgehogs love to gobble up slugs and snails - the bane of gardeners' lives which are constantly feeding on fruit and veg crops as well as our prized flowers and floral displays.
Wildlife shop NHBS also say that high garden fences and walls make it harder for hedgehogs to reproduce, saying: "Solid walls and fences being erected... reduces the available foraging area and so restricts the amount of food that they can eat as well as reducing the possibility of meeting a mate."
Conservation charity Hedgehog Street are asking gardeners to create "highways" for the iconic British creatures, explaining: "Ensuring hedgehogs can pass freely through your garden is one of the most important things you can do to help them."
The charity added: "We can make their life a little easier by removing the barriers within our control – for example, by making holes in or under our garden fences and walls for them to pass through."
They advise cutting DIY "hedgehog highways" in fences that are 13cm by 13cm square - too small for a pet dog to get through and escape, but not too small for a hedgehog.
You can also raise the entire fence panel by a few inches so that a hedgehog can squeeze underneath (but not so large that a person or pet could).
Another thing property owners can do is to swap walls and fences for hedges, which provide shelter and food for wildlife and an easy route into and out of your garden.
You can buy a plaque for your new "hedgehog highway" from the People's Trust For Endangered Species online shop. PTES say: "These snazzy labels are laser cut from recycled plastic and can be pinned above your hedgehog hole to ensure it is not blocked by anyone accidentally."
This request to help hedgehogs follows an earlier warning about risks to blackbirds this winter.
It's vital that you to put food out for blackbirds and report any issues you see, because of a new virus which is putting this native species under threat, The Express reports.
The British Trust for Ornithology has issued a warning about the Usutu virus, a new mosquito-borne virus in the UK which can be fatal to the birds, and has already led to a decline in blackbird populations, so they need additional food to help them this winter.
Blackbirds are soft-billed birds, meaning that they prefer soft foods like fruit, berries, sunflower hearts, and peanuts, according to the Woodland Trust. You can also offer them mealworms, flaked maize, uncooked oats, waxworms, or even dog food.
Blackbirds are too large to land on most standard bird feeders, so you should either scatter their food on the ground or use a bird table.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our newsletter here.
