The 13-Centimetre Problem
An urban hedgehog can travel a kilometre or more in a single night, but a solid garden fence turns a terrace into a dead end. The problem is not the fence itself; it is the cumulative effect of every boundary being sealed at ground level. A 13-centimetre square gap—roughly the size of a CD case—restores a route without creating a dog-sized opening. The wildzy guidance treats this gap as the first practical step in a hedgehog highway.
Cause matters here: gravel boards, concrete footings and tightly fitted panels are standard because they keep pets in and pests out. The solution is a coordinated gap in each garden, not a single hole in one fence. Neighbours who each cut one gap turn a row of plots into a connected corridor.
Why a Tidy Lawn Works Against Wildlife
A close-mown lawn offers little cover for the invertebrates hedgehogs eat. Beetles, caterpillars and earthworms need leaf litter, longer grass and damp soil. When a garden is stripped to lawn and paving, the food chain shortens at the bottom. Wildzy’s approach is to leave a wild corner rather than rewild the whole plot: a log pile, a patch of long grass and a native shrub can add shelter and foraging space without overwhelming a small garden.
Cause: slug pellets and tidy-up habits remove prey and can poison hedgehogs directly. Solution: hand-pick slugs, use barrier methods, and keep pellets out of reach—or out of the garden entirely. A shallow water dish with stones for escape is equally important in dry spells.
Light, Water and the Night Shift
Artificial light at night disrupts hedgehog activity; a bright security lamp can delay emergence and compress foraging time. The problem is usually a lamp aimed across a path or lawn. Cause is convenience, not malice. Solution: fit a motion sensor, shield the bulb and aim it downward, or switch to a warm, low-level light. Water is the second quiet fix: a steep-sided bowl can drown small animals, while a dish with a stone ramp gives them a way out.
A Street-Level Checklist
Wildzy’s hedgehog plan works best when neighbours compare notes, because a gap on one side of a fence is useless if the next garden is sealed. Start with a map of the street and mark where gaps already exist.
- Cut one 13 cm gap per boundary and check it with a CD case.
- Leave a wild corner with long grass, a log pile and native shrubs.
- Add shallow water with stones or a ramp for escape.
- Reduce night lighting with shields, sensors and downward aim.
- Remove slug pellets and other rodenticides from the garden.
A single garden can become a link in a larger route. The result is not a manicured show garden; it is a working night corridor where hedgehogs can move, feed and shelter without crossing a road to find the next patch.