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Notebook · Field note 12 October 2026 · seasonal

Before you light it: the bonfire hedgehog check

A heap of autumn prunings looks like a ready-made bed to a hedgehog. Build on the day, lift it with a broom handle, light from one side, and know what to do if someone's home.

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Hedgehog Street says hedgehogs usually hibernate from about October or November to March or April. That's exactly when gardens fill up with piles of prunings and bonfire wood. To a hedgehog looking for a winter nest, a heap of logs and leaves is perfect. Northumberland Wildlife Trust calls an unlit bonfire "a ready-made five-star hotel".

This applies to every garden bonfire this autumn, not just 5 November.

01At a glance

  • Build it on the day you light it, or move the whole pile to clear ground just before.
  • Check by lifting, with a broom handle or pole. Never a fork or spade.
  • Light from one side only, so anything inside can escape.
  • Found one? Gloves, a box, somewhere quiet, meaty pet food and water.

02The check

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society's advice:

  1. Build on the day. If you've been piling material up for weeks, move it to fresh ground before lighting. Don't build on top of a pile of leaves.
  2. Lift and look. Hedgehogs usually tuck into the centre and bottom 60cm or so of the pile. Lift it section by section with a pole or broom. A fork or spade can stab a curled-up hedgehog.
  3. Use a torch and listen. A disturbed hedgehog makes a hissing sound.
  4. Light from one side only. Keep people away from the other side so animals have a way out.

The BHPS also says to check for other wildlife, children and pets whenever the pile has been left, even briefly.

03If you find a hedgehog

  1. Wear gardening gloves and lift it with as much of its nest as you can.
  2. Put it in a high-sided box lined with newspaper or old towels. Make air holes, and secure the lid, because hedgehogs climb well.
  3. Keep it somewhere quiet, like a shed or garage, well away from the fire.
  4. Offer meaty cat or dog food and water. Never milk: Hedgehog Street says hedgehogs are lactose intolerant.
  5. Release it under a hedge or log pile once the fire is completely out.

If it is injured or unwell, call the BHPS for advice on 01584 890801. More on what hedgehogs need is in our hedgehog profile and the wildlife section.

04Do you need the bonfire at all?

GOV.UK says garden bonfires aren't banned, but the council can act if the smoke is a nuisance. You can be fined if smoke drifts across a road and endangers traffic. GOV.UK also suggests composting or recycling garden waste instead, and says your council can tell you how to get rid of it.

Most autumn waste is better off not burned. Soft prunings and leaves rot into garden compost and leaf mould. Woody material can be shredded or left as a log pile in a quiet corner, where it becomes a winter home on purpose. Bag up toxic clippings like yew and cherry laurel for green waste rather than burning them (see our autumn danger calendar).

If it's fireworks you want, the BHPS points out that an organised display is safer for people and animals.

How we checked this

Every care and safety claim on this page is verified against horticultural and veterinary sources.

Sources: British Hedgehog Preservation Society — Please check bonfires · British Hedgehog Preservation Society — Don't forget bonfire poster · Hedgehog Street — Hedgehog safety tips for bonfire night · Hedgehog Street — Hibernation · Hedgehog Street — Feeding hedgehogs · Northumberland Wildlife Trust — Don't forget to check for hedgehogs this Bonfire Night · GOV.UK — Garden bonfires: the rules

Checked 12 October 2026.