I hope that you are all doing okay and that those of you who have needed it, enjoyed your haircut! .... I bought a trimmer and have been doing mine and my daughter's. My wife asked me to do hers ... with scissors ... and I followed her instructions precisely ... but ... well, this video might give you a laugh! 

To the business of bees and other insects. Yesterday The Wildlife Trusts produced an important report called 'Reversing the Decline of Insects'. The lead author is Professor Dave Goulson from the University of Sussex - he is not only a world authority on bees, but also writes wonderful books about the insect world that are very accessible. 

In the forward the new boss of the Wildlife Trusts, Craig Bennett writes about memories of the clouds of insects that would get squashed on the windscreen of his parents' car - and I can also recommend a brilliant book by Michael McCarthy called Moth Snowstorm that covers this issue so well. I even wrote on this subject in my latest book - Linescapes - here is a short clip me reading the last few paragraphs.

So what has this to do with hedgehogs? Actually, by now I am expecting fewer people to be asking that sort of question - we are beginning to really understand that without a healthy ecosystem, we all - not just the hedgehogs, dolphins and cuckoos, all of us will suffer. And the insects are the bedrock on which we all stand. When they go, our foundations will crumble and our ecosystems and societies will fall.

The Wildlife Trusts call is for: At least 30% of land and seas properly connected, better protected, and suitably managed for nature. And a halt to the unnecessary use of pesticides where people live, work and farm, with support for all sectors to make the transition towards becoming pesticide free.

And see that? Habitat connectivity - it is as important for bees as it is for hedgehogs. So once you have made your hole, look to the wider environment - what can you plant that will encourage the insects to visit? My friend Paul runs a small company selling wildlife friendly seed mixes - I used some in my mother's garden to great effect. If you want advice, drop him a line. Those insects will lay eggs which hatch into larvae that are hedgehog food - the cycle of life is vital to understand. 

Talk to your council - ask them if they want to save money (they will!) and then point them to the wonderful work on Bee Roads being done all over the country by the likes of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, BugLife, PlantLife etc - get the verges mown less often, reduce or remove the spraying of herbicide along paths and in parks - we help the bugs and the bugs will help us - and the hedgehogs!