Don’t light that bonfire yet! Is there a tiny creature sleeping inside?

Unfortunately Bonfire Night coincides with the season when hedgehogs and other small mammals are looking for cosy places to hide and hibernate. 

A stack of dry wood and leaves piled up for a bonfire might look to a hedgehog like the perfect place to overwinter. 

Sadly it’s feared many animals are believed to perish in fires every year.

Here are some top tips to help protect these prickly visitors: 

* Consider piling material near the site of your fire and building your bonfire just before lighting. This will give small creatures like hedgehogs less chance to move in.

* Check your bonfire carefully before setting it on fire and remove any small inhabitants. Rehome them in a safe area away from dogs or cats, such as under a hedge or large bush and well away from your bonfire.

* Consider putting a fence, made of chicken wire, around your bonfire to help deter any mammals looking for a cosy home. 

There are lots of interesting facts and advice on helping your local hedgehogs in an excellent free Wild About Gardens hedgehog guide. 

You can download it free for from www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk

It’s great to know we can all help these fascinating mammals. Long may they live among us!