The dormouse is largely nocturnal (active at night) and lives in trees and shrubs – particularly favouring mixed, deciduous woodland with hazel. They are generally active between April and October and rely on a network of branches to make their way around to collect seeds and fruit. They spend the winter months in hibernation on or under the ground at the base of the trees and shrubs. Any disturbance to trees and hedgerows may therefore have an impact on individual dormice or dormouse populations.
The dormouse is a European protected species and a licence is required for work that may affect dormice or their habitat. Information on licences for this type of work is available on the Natural Resources Wales website.
More information on dormouse ecology is found in the Dormouse Conservation Handbook which is available on the Natural England website and also on the National Park website.