how to make a garden nesting box attractive – fresh research

As huge swaths of forest are swallowed up by urban sprawl, or as households replace lofty grass with artificial turf or renovate buildings to repair cracks and crevices, wildlife populations are deprived of potential places to rest, breed and hibernate. That’s why conservation groups are calling on homeowners to create wildlife-friendly habitats on their lands when possible.

One of the artificial shelters that has long graced gardens is the birdhouse. It is estimated that there are 4.7 million of them in gardens all over the UK. Some studies have shown that nesting boxes (or bricks) can facilitate birds produce more chicks AND increase their population compared to birds nesting in areas without artificial shelters.

However, whether and how animals actually apply these shelters depends on their design, where they are placed and the conditions the wider landscapeIn the wrong environment – ​​or with the wrong design – wildlife can be harmed or put at increased risk be caught by predators.

Relatively little is known about what makes a house a home for non-bird species, or how effective artificial shelters are for protection of the species. Still, garden centers and other retailers offer a wide selection, from ceramic toad houses to wood and concrete bat perches, many of which are made and installed with the mammals in mind.

One such mammal is the nocturnal, ground-dwelling hedgehog. Hedgehogs have undergone long term decline and are listed as vulnerable to Red List of Mammals in the UK: In some parts of the countryside, hedgehog numbers may have fallen by as much as 75% in the past 20 years. Where populations are stable, hedgehogs often apply domestic gardens, and it is here that the public – by providing nesting boxes (or ‘hedgehog houses’) – could play a significant role in their conservation.

IN new studyI have found that you can escalate the chances of a hedgehog taking up residence in your garden nesting box by, among other things, choosing the location carefully and leaving food and bedding there.

List of homes for hedgehogs

There are tons of adorable photos and videos online of hedgehogs using nesting boxes (both homemade and store-bought). social media. However, little is known about how best to select, create, or install these shelters. Partly because people are advised to avoid disturbing nesting hedgehogs.

To address this issue, researchers from the University of Reading (including me) and specialists from the environmental campaign group Hedgehog Street launched the Hedgehog Nest Box Inventory: an online survey aimed at collecting information on how hedgehog nest boxes are used across the UK.

Over 5,000 surveys were received. Using this data, we investigated how hedgehogs apply nest boxes for different types of nesting. Hedgehogs typically build different nests for daytime rest, rearing and overwintering, and may move between more than one nest in each case. For each nesting type, we modelled how nest box apply appeared to be affected by its design and dimensions, as well as by garden and surrounding features.

The study found that in most seasons, hedgehogs were more likely to apply nest boxes that contained food – such as meat pet food – and mulch was provided. Some gardeners left piles of parched leaves in the corner of the garden, which the hedgehogs could collect and drag into the box.

Hedgehogs were more likely to apply nest boxes where there was access between the front and back gardens, highlighting the importance of connections between habitats. This may be possible by cutting a hole in the bottom of a fence or leaving a gap under a gate to create Hedgehog highwayFurthermore, the likelihood of a hedgehog taking up residence in the box was increased when the hedgehogs were placed under cover, such as bushes, or on challenging surfaces, such as patios, and the entrances faced away from open spaces.

The presence of dogs only seemed to have a negative effect during the hibernation period, which usually occurs between November and April. Surprisingly, badgers or foxes did not seem to deter hedgehogs from nesting in the box, although few people reported seeing either species in their garden. We also found that nest boxes were used more often during hibernation when they faced south and were within five metres of a building. This may be because these locations were warmer, and cosier nesting chambers facilitate hibernating hedgehogs burn less energy. Too toasty and hedgehogs could wake up more oftenHowever. The optimal temperature in a hedgehog’s nest – and the design features that might affect it – are not well understood.

The census also revealed where hedgehogs prefer to build their own nests in gardens. Survey respondents reported evidence of 2,546 other nests used by hedgehogs in their gardens, including nests built under vegetation such as lofty grass or shrubs (46%), sheds (21%), woodpiles (15%), compost bins (6%) and patios (6%).

Nest boxes – and gardens more broadly – ​​provide vital breeding habitat for dwindling hedgehogs. But there’s still a lot we don’t know about how these artificial shelters compare to natural nests. This is an area that scientists need to delve into, untangling how nest box design affects occupancy and trying to understand the consequences of using artificial shelters for hedgehog health, behaviour and numbers. For now, it’s clear that straightforward steps can escalate a hedgehog’s chances of using nest boxes – a potentially critical part of managing the species’ recovery.