Hedgehogs

[Spookyville]

Picked up 2 hedgehogs from the resue centre today to home in our garden. Have been waiting since last Autumn for them - thought we were getting one but ended up with a boy and girl. They were already named Sally and HogHedge.

We have a home for them and hopefully they will stick around and decimate our slug problem on a regular basis. 
But you never know they can exit the garden and we border fields and further than that woods so they may still decide to move on.

[Spookyville]

[ninnyscrops]

Gosh I hope they stay with you...  Love to have a hedgehog on the garden but we have a little pond and afraid it might fall in!

[carolinej]

We had a hedgehog in the garden last summer. We found out, as the dog was going mad by the shrubs. I went to investigate. I didnt know they hissed, but it was hissing like mad . I picked it up with my plastic garden rake and put it into the field behind the house. It kept coming back for weeks, but I had to keep moving it away as the dog may have hurt it (well, sucked it to death , as she is a Cavalier Spaniel, no jaw strength), and the neighbours would have been driven up the wall with the barking all night.

Shame really, as I would love to have a 'pet' hedgehog.

cj :)

[ninnyscrops]

Just remembered, did have a couple once. They used to come from the copse behind all the way up the fence and under the back gate.  Then our dog had puppies and we nailed a board on the bottom of the back gate and never saw them again.  It's since been taken off but still no sign, so maybe we could adopt a hedgehog as those two didn't come to blows in the pond.

[nippie]

We had a pair under our shed last year, who were kind enough to make us hedgehog grand parents! we had 2 babies  :)
Haven't seen them this year yet but I bet they are around somewhere.

[cacran]

We have had hedgehogs in our garden often, over the years. We still seem to have lots of slugs though. We also have lots of frogs and toads so you would think they could keep the slug population at bay. Anyway, on my allotment, I would like to attract some hedgehogs. My dog recently had to be put to sleep. He had one of those plastic dog beds. I have turned it upside down and covered it with twigs. the cut out bit makes a good entrance. I am crossing my fingers that some hedgehogs may find it and camp out there. What do you think??? Is there anything I could do to attract them?

[Carol]

I have hedgehogs and hope I see them soon.  I have a hedgehog house behind my shed and encouraged them to use it which she did during the winter months for hybernation.  I inspected the house on Saturday and it was jam packed full of vegetation and dried grass which is a good sign it was used.  I didnt delve in for a  closer look but shut the top and left.  I am looking forward to seeing them around soon.   ;) ;) ;)

[Spookyville]

just put out some cat food for them (which were advised to do as they are just new releasees) and within 5 minsutes both were round the dish so they have not scarpered yet!!! :)

[saddad]

Have you got a link Spooky that I could use... we had Hedgehogs on the lotties when I arrived about 15 years ago but haven't seen any for a decade, we are supposed to be getting some rescue ones to recolonise the site but the fixer has gone to sleep over it...
::)

[Spookyville]

no link for the one we went to - its only local, no website. we only found out about it after an article in the local paper. you could always ask at your local RSPCA - they must have details of any local ones to you.

Saw them both again tonight, so I guess they may like it (our garden) afterall...

[Carol]

 ::) ::) Curiosity got the better of me and I had another look into the hedgehog house.   There was straw, leaves, dried grass and it felt so warm to the touch.  The hedgehog was still in there,  she was so so cosy I felt sorry I touched her now.  I covered her all up again and replaced the lid.  I thought she would have left with the warmer weather.  Unless off course she was just sleeping in there until darkness.   ::) ::) 

[greenscrump]

just a thought ninnyscrops, but it was suggested to us to put a plank or similiar in the pond to make a walkway out for creatures that end up in the water  ;)

[saddad]

I will do that Spooky... thanks. Built our pond with a shallow slide at one edge so things that fall in can walk out...
;D

[ninnyscrops]

We've got a shallow ledge on one side of the pond that leads up to one of the beds, it's where all the birds have a bath, but if a hedgehog falls in the deep end, can they swim to the shallow side?

[Carol]

My Hedgehog is out and about again.  Spotted her 'running' about midnight and when I was up at 3 a.m. there she was eating the bird food I put out the night before for the birds.  Gosh she is big, but I am delighted to have her back again.   :) :) :)

[dazdread]

Hedgehogs can swim but with no fur to keep warm get cold quickly.

[Lost in France]

We had hedgehogs in our last garden. They came for the bits of peanuts that were dropped from the feeders when the birds fed from them! The were so tame that they came early evening and we could sit by and feed them with peanuts!

Good luck with your hedgehogs, they're fascinating to watch and lovely to have in the garden. We also had a pond and never found this to be a problem for the hedgehogs despite the garden being on several levels with the pond between two levels!

Judi

[Jill]

I've just discovered one has made a nest under an upturned pot at the back of the garden.  Never had one in the garden before.  So pleased that I googled and found this site with lots of info: http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/.

[Trixiebelle]

I tried to re-home rescue hedgehogs a couple of years ago.

The lady at the Hedgie sanctuary said I couldn't have them in my back garden (completely enclosed) because they naturally roam about a mile of an evening.

She also said she wouldn't re-home a hedgie at an allotment site because of the risk of gardeners using slug pellets etc.

Fair enough!  :)

I would like to give a rescue hodgeheg a good home though. But the computer says NO!

[SEDUM]

Several years ago I had a visiting hedgehog for one autumn and thought I'd build a hedgehog house to put in a secluded spot in the garden.  Think ski-lodge - I got a bit carried away...  Anyway nothing lived in it, the neighbours cat sheltered in it from the rain, but that was all the attention it got.

Last Summer I was in the greenhouse late, picking off slugs and snails from my pots and I heard a great loud snuffling from out by the veg raised beds.  With my torch in one hand and fast-fading courage I crept round the path, expecting some rabid dog - it was TWO HEDGEHOGS!  I was so thrilled to see them.

A while later I was determined to find out where they were resting during the day.  I set myself up on a bench, wrapped in blankets, pullover, wooly hat and waited 'til the garden lights turned off at 11pm.  Shortly after, and as my eyes grew accustomed to the dark, I heard scratching and rustling as they pushed their way out of a deep pile of branches I have for years stacked in a bit of a cul-de-sac (narrow little space about 2 foot by 4).  They snuffled around, then climbed into the veg patches - hoovering up slugs (do they eat snails too?). ;)

Since their arrival I have modified how I protect my veg patches from cat poo - gone are the spiky cuttings from the pyracantha and in their place bamboo frames supporting green plastic mesh.  I set it at a height that the hedgehogs can get in to feed, but too low for even the most adept limboing cat.  As a result, I have enjoyed previously unheard-of succcess with my veggies, give or take the odd casualty that got in the way of the feeding frenzy the hedgehogs get into from time to time - they can be thugs!  Slug and snail damage has been dramatically reduced, if not completely eradicated by the presence of the hedgehogs. :)

One thing I learned this year is spacing crops to allow access for the hedgehogs, otherwise they can't get between the plants and do their business.  ;D

Oh, on the pond front, I have made slopping sides with a load of pebbles and set larger stones on the tops of baskets for marginal plants, which help things crawl out of the water without much trouble.