Articles & Inspiration

With the autumn upon us, chilly mornings and dark evenings herald the arrival of hibernation season for hedgehogs. As the leaves begin to pile up and with the creation of bonfires, they become the ideal spot for sleepy hedgehogs seeking a home for the winter months. Bonfire night is one of the biggest risks of the year for hedgehogs and since 2000 their numbers have dropped by 50% in rural areas, so it’s important that we take whatever steps we can to ensure they stay safe this November.

Build on the day

It may be convenient to build your bonfire in advance however, this allows more time for hedgehogs to find their way in. It is much safer to build your bonfire as close to lighting as possible, giving local hedgehogs less time to get into the pile. If you have stored

When Rats, Squirrels and Mice smell a food source, they can go to great lengths to locate it. Once they do begin to nibble on something they’ll keep coming back for more! (And will likely bring a friend or two, plus seeds will spill which will in turn attract more pests.) Not all is lost though, if you follow the steps below you should be able to prevent this problem from occurring and if it does The Big Cheese will have plenty of solutions and advice for solving your problems.  

Keep it clean

The most important thing here is to clean up any fallen food as quickly as you can, rodents are excellent climbers but like most creatures, they’d rather feed on the floor. Seed catchers or trays should help to prevent this

Controlling rodents often can involve the use of poison baits. However, these products can be toxic to other wildlife, domestic livestock and pets if used incorrectly.  Ensure that you can use rodenticides safely and effectively before using this method of control.

If you require the use of rodenticides, be advised that housing the bait in a tamper-resistant bait station is required by law. Bait stations must meet several criteria that prevent entry or tampering by non-targets.

Bait stations make the use of rodenticides more efficient by providing the following benefits:

• They help prevent the spilling of bait.
• They provide a protected place for rodents to feed, allowing them to consume more bait.
• They keep non-targets away from the baits.