I have had a nightly visit from a hedgehog for over a year now. Same one I think!!! I have started to feed him/her cat food just this week in case he/she cant find enough slugs in order to fatten up before Winter comes along and his hibernation starts. He/she seems to eat it up but still eats the Birds seed. ;D ;D ;D
send him round to mine please............i've got slugs & snails a plenty >:(
...and then to mine - on the train obviously as it would be a long hike to the smoke! ;)
G x
Have you thought about making a house for your visitor. If so there is an easy one on Tiggywinkles site.
I had one bought for my birthday a couple of years ago. The first resident was run over last winter but it now has a new resident, a little HH in trouble a couple of weeks ago. She was wandering round the garden in the afternoon so I new she wasn't well. I gave her some water from a dropper & some wet food & popped her in the HH house & she is still there. I am so pleased. I LOVE HHs. I stand by the back door at 10pm waiting for them to appear. Last night there 3. ::)
I like them as well Janet. I put out the food and watch out for him, but he still likes the bird food and seems to take that first.
I have asked OH to make me a hedgehog house. Maybe one day I will buy one. ;) ;) ;)
You are so lucky Carol. I've not seen a hedgehog ever in my back garden.
If your OH is anything like my OH ...I'd buy one lol!
So True, H. A Hedgehog house is not important enough for OH. Got a biffday soon so may just ring up and buy one.
;) ;)
Hi Carol. The one my daughter bought was an oak one. It is lovely but fell apart quite quickly. It was letting water in so I put it in the sun room to dry off. The bottom came away & the oak lats separated so OH repaired it & put roofing felt over the top & it is great now. I would suggest putting roofing felt on it as soon as you get it. (If you get it).
www.thehedgehog.co.uk/houses.htm
maybe OH will make you one c :)
Our house backs onto twelve acres of allotments, where my plots are.. When we first moved in we used to get HHs on the patio but not seen any for about a decade... we have set aside a few plots and are making a wildlife area and hope to reintroduce them from a local sanctuary..
;D
Thanks for the website GW. I shall look at it and contemplate buying one. OH could make one but he is busy 'doing' other things in the garden so had beter not ask cos he aint a grafter at the best of times!!!! I hope the hedgehog stays but the wee devil prefers my bird seed to cat meat!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
:D :D :D
My Hedgehog House arrived today, a Birthday pressie paid by dear old Mum. We will now get the roof protected by a membrane and put it in place for October time. Wonder if I should put up a sign 'HEDGEHOG HOUSE THIS WAY' Iwill place some water and maybe cat food outside the door so the Hedgie will find it easier. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/GREENWIZARD/hedgehog.jpg)
How lovely, Carol. Any chance of a picture?
Great sign GW! ;D
G x
i had a look at the site on making a house for the h/h my lotty would be extera special for my 2 year old do daughter but what about rats not seen any on my plot and like to keep it so any thoughts any one
Aw GW thanks, will copy that and make a signpost outside for the Hedgy LOL ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D well you don't know, he can maybe read!!!!
A pic of what G. the new house or the hedgehog?
Rats? where? Do you think the hedgehog house will attract Rats? Hope not. Been there and got the tee shirt but not seen a Rat since we built a 5ft wall round the garden. I make sure food is not left out for too long so as not to attract rats.
Well I meant the house, C, but if you want to post another pic of your hedgehog I'm sure everyone will be delighted. :)
G x
"I have had a nightly visit from a hedgehog for over a year now. Same one I think!!! I have started to feed him/her cat food.."
Thought I'd tell you a little story about a visiting hedgehog we had in France ..
One night whilst lying in bed, we were disturbed by a rustling underneath us. Assuming it was one of the cats I got up to get a drink and returned back to bed. Hubbie also got up and noticed that both the cats were in the kitchen. Hmm ::) - I went and had a look under the bed and came face to face with a huge hedgehog - the size of a volleyball. :o
We can only assume that one night while our backdoor was open and we were either in the garden or on the computer, this prickly friend, came in to explore. It had eaten all the cats dinner but unfortunately hadn’t used their litter tray. :-\ The obligatory bucket was brought out and the hedgehog was put back in the garden. The kitchen floor was mopped and we returned back to bed. As this was 3.00 in the morning we forgot to take any snapshots.
Sorry to go off topic, but hope your mum is doing better Carol.
Back on topic: we have a silly billy hedgehog thatwanders noisily round the garden night and day.
Dogs have been warned to behave and do.
When I first got the HH house I used to put a bowl of chopped peanuts outside under one of those plastic step stools, each night I moved it closer to the HHH & my little visitor soon took up residence. The favourite bedding material seems to be dead fatsia leaves.