The message
from "michael adams" contains these words:

correction: "has" for "hasn't" third time lucky maybe

"Janet Galpin" wrote in message
...
When is it safe to set fire to a bonfire that's been gathering all
winter without risk of it still being a home to a hedgehog? It's rather
big to move.


The standard advice is not before early April
depending on the weather.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The best advice would probably be to poke around into the base
with a long thin cane maybe with a tennis ball stuck on the end
at the very least.

If the bonfire is large enough, and yet not near enough to next
doors garden to set fire to that, then maybe you wouldn't
be creating too much of a nuisance by leaving a radio
next to the heap and playing very loud music for a couple
of hours before hand as well. (Not sure if this is intended
to be serious or not,)

" If the weather changes during hibernation, or the animal is
disturbed, it will wake and may move on to build a new nest."


Thanks for this detailed and interesting advice. I was intrigued by the
idea of the music and might just try it.

On the topic of hedgehogs, I found I think three dead hedgehogs at
different times and in different parts of the garden last season with no
obvious signs as to why they had died. I could only think perhaps that
the neighbouring farmer had put down rat poison which the hedgehogs had
taken in. I don't know whether this can be a significant cause of
hedgehog deaths. Or reading the Wildlife Trust page you suggested I
suppose pesticide is another dismaying possibility.

Janet G