As the clocks change and the colder nights draw in residents are being asked to remember hedgehogs this autumn. Numbers of hedgehogs in rural areas have declined between 30 and 72 per cent since 2000. To help halt this decline we’re asking residents to do what they can to help our prickly friends. Our top tips include:

Provide access to your garden

One of the main reasons hedgehogs are struggling in Britain is because our fences and walls are becoming more and more secure, reducing the amount of land available to them. Have a look around your garden and see if it can be accessed by a hedgehog. They typically need a 13cm by 13cm hole, which can be cut into a fence to create access. You can read more about creating a DIY hedgehog highway on Hedgehog Street’s website.

Access to food and water

Hedgehogs must feed intensively and be in great condition before hibernating if they are to have enough reserves to last the winter. Hedgehogs eat a wide variety of insects and other invertebrates including beetles, earthworms and caterpillars. The best way to support a hedgehog is to leave areas of your garden undisturbed. Alternatively, you can leave out cat or dog food or specialist hedgehog food. A shallow dish of water can also be provided. Please do not give hedgehogs milk as they are lactose intolerant, or anything containing peanuts.

Create a hedgehog home

Log and leaf piles, wilderness areas, simple shelters, like this one on YouTube and purpose-built hedgehog homes such as the one on Hedgehog Street make great places for hedgehogs to nest and hibernate. Fallen leaves also make the perfect nesting material, so make sure you do not clear all of these away. Remember, without access into your garden, a hedgehog will not use your hedgehog home, no matter how lovely it is.

Check bonfires before lighting

It is coming up to Fireworks Night on November 5. Remember, if you are planning a bonfire please check there are no hedgehogs nesting in it before setting fire to it. More advice about bonfires is available on our website.

Record your sightings of hedgehogs

The BIG Hedgehog Map (www.BigHedgehogMap.org) enables sightings of hedgehogs from across the UK to be recorded, helping conservationists understand where they’re living and where they most need help. Click on the regional section of the map to be an East Cambs Hedgehog Hero.

The council is also doing its best to help protect hedgehogs as part of its hedgehog recovery campaign. It has recently approved a Supplementary Planning Document designed to help make sure new development in East Cambridgeshire protects and enhances habitats for hedgehogs, with the particular aim of creating new development which supports the recovery of hedgehog numbers in East Cambridgeshire. As well as giving talks on how to protect hedgehogs the council also recently gave away 10 hedgehog houses to residents as part of a prize draw.

More information on East Cambridgeshire District Council's Hedgehog Campaign.