Hedgehogs

[Georgie]

'These are sad and bad days for the hedgehog. Nobody knows, for sure, very much about them - how many there are, where they are, how many are needed for a viable population, how they cope with modern life, or, in a country teeming with foxes and badgers, their natural predators. But one thing now is certain: the hedgehogs of Britain are dying out at a rate of about a fifth of the population every four years. By 2025, they will be gone.'

This is an extract from an article in today's Guardian.  I certainly haven't had a hedgehog in my garden for a number of years and it saddens me.  Is anyone out there still lucky enough to have these garden friendly creatures?

G xx

[grawrc]

YEs we have one and it amazes me how it survives. It trundles calmly around the garden in broad daylight and in full view of two very greedy cocker spaniels who fortunately have learnt that it's taboo for them.

[Tulipa]

We are lucky too.  We find plenty of calling cards but don't very often see them because of the layout of our garden, but it is lovely to know they have been and eaten the slugs for us.  I saw one a couple of times last year and a whole family the year before which was wonderful.  Our neighbours have just got a new dog so I hope he doesn't frighten them away.

[Juliet]

I think we had a couple visiting last summer - didn't see them much as they tended to visit at about 3am & it was a bit dark out by then, but we certainly heard them if the windows were open - & like tulippa, found plenty of calling cards.  Really hope they come back this year.

[Amazin]

I've always wanted to have a hedgehog come and live in my garden but no such luck. Mind you in the warmer weather the urban foxes think it's their second home - much to the chagrin of the cats! - so perhaps it's a scent thing.

By the way, belated HNY, G!

[Ceratonia]

We've got quite a few hedgehogs in the garden (or at least we did last year, I assume they're all asleep somewhere at the moment). I see them more often than I see slugs & snails, so they're obviously doing a good job.  I have an patch of the garden between some holly trees and the fence, which is difficult to get at and I put a few old tree trunks/ rotting logs down there. Seems to encourage beetles and things which the hedgehogs eat.

Last winter I disturbed a couple while emptying the compost heaps. One took up residence in the next heap along, but the other stayed resolutely asleep,  so I  put it in a cardboard box full of straw, at the back of the greenhouse. Couple of months later, in March, it had obviously had enough sleep and disappeared out of the box, having helped itself to a big drink of water.

Love watching them pass through our gate. They go up on all fours - looks like something out of a cartoon.

[GREENWIZARD]

a few years back there was a family living at the top of the garden but haven't seen any recently

[Paulines7]

I see quite a few here when the weather is warm.  One comes to the birdtable and feeds from bits dropped on the ground.  Meggie tells us when one has arrived as she barks like fury through the patio doors.

[ipt8]

I wonder if slug pellets may affect them?

[Carol]

Well i did have a hedgehog visiting late autumn (cos I posted a pic of it on here).   Hopefully it will ahve fattened itself up to see through the winter months.   Slug pellets are a NO NO for hedgehogs.  They are bad for the thrush as well.  Try and find other methods to deter the slug population.

 

[Georgie]

Well, I'm glad to hear that some of you are still getting some of these welcome visitors in your gardens.     Hi Amazin', belated HNY to you too.     ipt8, I'm sure that slug pellets could be a factor - I'm with Carol on this one.

G xx

[!mpetuous]

I wonder if slug pellets may affect them?

Yes they do which is why I refuse to use them and why responsible users like Wardy put them in containers that the hedgehogs cannot get too.  Don't know what happens if a hedgehog eats a poisoned slug though - although I can guess it probably involves the words long and painful.  There are pellets that claim to wildlife friendly but I just do not trust them and rely on other methods and resignation where slugs are concerned.

[Juliet]

This page:
http://www.thehedgehog.co.uk/dangers.htm
has useful info. about dangers to hedgehogs, including slug pellets (& which of the ingredients in them kill hedgehogs).

[Val]

We've got one that lives under the pampass grass, thats why I won't move it but I'm a bit worried about the puppy we've got, the older dog just ignores them, I hope the hedgehog won't move on because of her...mind you feel like it myself at times, she's like sonic the hedgehog never seen a dog move so fast.

[grawrc]

see also
http://www.hedgehog.org.uk

for lots of hedgehog related information.

[Georgie]

I seem to score fairly highly on the 'hedgehog friendly garden' except I don't have a nettle patch.  So perhaps I'm just unlucky or the neighbours' gardens are death traps?  Should I plant some nettles in a large pot do you think or will they self-seed all over the garden?

G xx

[grawrc]

I draw the line at nettles myself.
We have a lane that goes down the back of the houses and I have left a big clump of nettles growing there alongside a buddleia bush. Both are good for butterflies and hopefully for the hedgehogs too, but even there they seed all over the place and I have to remove baby nettles constantly.

[Georgie]

Hmmmm, thought as much, I'll give nettles a miss then.   

Carol, could you repost your pic in this thread?  I missed it and I'm sure others would like to see it too.   

G xx

[Rosa_Mundi]

I draw the line at nettles, too. My resident hedgehog(s) seem happy with the provision of generous numbers of slugs and a relatively wild area at the back of the garden where they can amble around safely. They've been known to hibernate under the hedge quite happily....

[Carol]

as requested Georgie, the pic of my hedgehog.....