Lots of calls to the hospital now are from people who have acidentally disturbed a nest. The most important rule is immediately (and I mean immediately, every second counts so no photo taking!) put everything back as you found it and urgently call a good established rescue for advice. We're coming into the height of baby season now so this is particularly important, and could mean the difference between life and death for the babies. Pregnant hedgehogs build two or three maternity nests, in case the chosen nest becomes uninhabitable (from flooding or predators for example). This means mum can quickly move her babies without having to leave them to find bedding and build. BUT.. Moving babies isn't a cute, Disney-esque event. It's a dire emergency. It's difficult, sometimes painful, and fraught with danger and tragedy. Babies get dropped, the ones left in the new nest may wander out while mum is back getting the next one from the old nest, and mum will be suffering extreme stress. Prevention is always better than cure so please be extra careful in the garden during this baby season. Before doing anything, think hedgehog. Anything left undisturbed for long will be seen as an attractive nesting place: Beneath a shed/wendy house/decking Inside a shed Inside a compost bag/rubbish bag Under piles of rubbish/wooden palettes Under furniture/barbeque covers Taking a moment to gently check before moving could save precious little lives.

We're in an unusually dry spring. In extended dry weather, the soil dries out and beetles, particularly their larval stages (grubs), will move deeper into the soil in search of more moisture. This is crucial for their survival as they need moisture to feed and develop. This makes them out of reach for hungry hedgehogs. And this time of year, beetles and their larvae are pretty much their only source of food. Water is a life-giver in so many ways, but rain isn't forecast for a while. So please, if you can, water your garden, and put out a dish or two of clean water. A dish of dry kitten food also will be a life saver.