I was pleased to see that despite using loads of slug pellets you still have hedgehogs in your garden, just shows how wrong some of the ‘powers that be’ can be. They don’t seem to upset your hogs at all.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I loved your hedgehogs Philip. I have never seen a real one, so that was special. The cats certainly know when to steer clear. Already, I have noticed that it is not getting dark as early, and my seed catalogues are popping through the door quite regularly now.
My Hellebores are not flowering yet, but they will when they are ready. It is the start of exciting times.
I was pleased to see that despite using loads of slug pellets you still have hedgehogs in your garden, just shows how wrong some of the ‘powers that be’ can be. They don’t seem to upset your hogs at all.
Hi Lyn,..yes amazing how after all these years i still have Hedgehogs,..i have more images captured somewhere on another computer i must search for them.
When i first spotted the Hedgehogs i stopped using Slug Pellets but then i was having lots of young Delphiniums eaten and destroyed so i had to work out a system to suit all.
During Autumn and Winter i used the Slug Pellets when the Hedgehogs were hibernating,..then come late Spring i started using Liquid Slug Killer and a spray of Neem Oil on foliage,..that worked,.. though i was curious as to how the Hedgehogs would treat Slug Pellets,..i left some out close to the dried cat food,..every day they ate all the cat food but never touched the Slug Pellets,..that was back in 2009,..i wouldn't recommend everyone doing this as Hedgehogs are clever enough to know what not to eat,..some may not be blessed and suffer the consequences,..touch wood i have never had any fatalities,..i imagine its not the actual Slug Pellets they eat but the dead Slugs that have died after eating Slug Pellets.
My Hedgehogs are still hibernating,..by the time they awake most of my Slugs and Snails will be gone.
I loved your hedgehogs Philip. I have never seen a real one, so that was special. The cats certainly know when to steer clear. Already, I have noticed that it is not getting dark as early, and my seed catalogues are popping through the door quite regularly now.
My Hellebores are not flowering yet, but they will when they are ready. It is the start of exciting times.
@Purplerain,..delighted i could present my Hedgehogs to you,..they are cute little creatures and helpful in the garden in that they eat Slugs,..though if there is other tasty food available they will skip eating Slugs on a big scale,..very prickly spikes protect them when they roll up in a ball when feeling danger,..reputed to have poor eyesight as they are usually out and about at night not so much in daylight.
Same here with the days remaining brighter,..it won't be long before your Hellebores come into bloom,..don't be tempted to buy too many plants lol.
They are such lovely little creatures. I think I would go into raptures if I saw one 😀. I do the same as you with slug pellets Philip. I once saw a comment saying that January 17th is a good time to use them so that is what I do. I used to get armies of them eating everything.
I must be the only gardener with a little pond that fails to appeal to any wildlife whatsoever! Do you have a pond? I have never seen you mention one, but I might have missed it.
@Purplerain,..quite a lot of gardens have a Hedgehog or two but because they are really nocturnal we seldom see them during the day,..why mine appear in day time is beyond me,..they are fat and healthy looking so its not hunger that drives them out during the day,..perhaps lack of Slugs in my garden gives them an urge for a variety in food.
Oh i don't have a pond though i always intended to have one then i used the intended space for plants,..you mentioned your small pond doesn't have any inhabitants as yet,..well between Jan and March you will see Frog Spawn on water in some ditches and ponds,..rescue some and lo and behold you will have Frogs,..well Tadpoles first of course,..early spawn gets killed if there is a hard long frost so go for nearer to March to collect Spawn,..it depends on a hard frost or not,..your area,..your own pond,..if the latter is not over exposed to frost.
Looking at the small garden section in front of my house this morning i spotted two Snails creeping up the wall,..it goes to show how mild the weather is that Snails are out and about.
Some more images i captured,..again looking through the glass doors,..this was when i first realised i had two Hedgehogs.
Posts
My Hellebores are not flowering yet, but they will when they are ready. It is the start of exciting times.
When i first spotted the Hedgehogs i stopped using Slug Pellets but then i was having lots of young Delphiniums eaten and destroyed so i had to work out a system to suit all.
During Autumn and Winter i used the Slug Pellets when the Hedgehogs were hibernating,..then come late Spring i started using Liquid Slug Killer and a spray of Neem Oil on foliage,..that worked,.. though i was curious as to how the Hedgehogs would treat Slug Pellets,..i left some out close to the dried cat food,..every day they ate all the cat food but never touched the Slug Pellets,..that was back in 2009,..i wouldn't recommend everyone doing this as Hedgehogs are clever enough to know what not to eat,..some may not be blessed and suffer the consequences,..touch wood i have never had any fatalities,..i imagine its not the actual Slug Pellets they eat but the dead Slugs that have died after eating Slug Pellets.
My Hedgehogs are still hibernating,..by the time they awake most of my Slugs and Snails will be gone.
Philip
Same here with the days remaining brighter,..it won't be long before your Hellebores come into bloom,..don't be tempted to buy too many plants lol.
Philip
I must be the only gardener with a little pond that fails to appeal to any wildlife whatsoever! Do you have a pond? I have never seen you mention one, but I might have missed it.
Oh i don't have a pond though i always intended to have one then i used the intended space for plants,..you mentioned your small pond doesn't have any inhabitants as yet,..well between Jan and March you will see Frog Spawn on water in some ditches and ponds,..rescue some and lo and behold you will have Frogs,..well Tadpoles first of course,..early spawn gets killed if there is a hard long frost so go for nearer to March to collect Spawn,..it depends on a hard frost or not,..your area,..your own pond,..if the latter is not over exposed to frost.
Looking at the small garden section in front of my house this morning i spotted two Snails creeping up the wall,..it goes to show how mild the weather is that Snails are out and about.
Some more images i captured,..again looking through the glass doors,..this was when i first realised i had two Hedgehogs.
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