Where should I put a hedgehog house?
In a shady, quiet area of the garden. That is Hedgehog Street’s advice, along with two conditions that matter as much as the spot: the hedgehog has to be able to get into your garden in the first place, and food should be kept at least a couple of metres from the house rather than inside it.
What Hedgehog Street says
- Site: “a shady, quiet area of your garden”. A messy patch in a quiet, undisturbed corner can also work as a natural nesting place.
- Protection: if the house has no tunnel entrance, add an inside tunnel or dividing wall so badgers or foxes cannot reach the hedgehog.
- Materials: untreated wood. Pre-treated wood can contain compounds that are hazardous to wildlife.
- Access: a hedgehog “won’t use your hedgehog home, no matter how lovely it is” unless it can get into your garden. See how big should a hedgehog hole be?
- Food: keep it a couple of metres away from the house, not inside. See what can I feed hedgehogs?
What the page does not cover
The Hedgehog Street page we opened does not say which way the entrance should face, what bedding to use, or when to check or clean the house, so Finchwold does not give figures for those here. If a hedgehog is hibernating inside, leave it undisturbed; see when do hedgehogs hibernate?
Sources
- Hedgehog Street: Hedgehog homes, opened 14 November 2026.
- Hedgehog Street: Feed hedgehogs, opened 14 November 2026.