I do get robins and blackbirds eating the food but it is in a feeding station so no cats can get to the food ( did have rat/mouse/cat problem but not after I stopped wet food) and the birds eat the whole thing so no crumbs.😁
Like @AnniD I've got a trail camera (Apeman H68). We have two feeding stations. A simple one I made myself and an 'open' feed area in the dense undergrowth. This gets visited by a fox and the hogs often within minutes of one another.
Think I need to invest in a feeding station and a wildlife camera now! @Dave Humby do you find the Apeman good? My concern is how long the batteries last as I definitely won't be able to get electric in my garden for a little while yet. Wondering if it's worth me splashing out on a higher spec model for around £170 or if a £60 camera will be all I need....
@AnniD I'm so thrilled. I've had to stop digging my wildlife pond mid way through due to my rubbish carpal tunnel so it's great to have something else to get excited about!
@gilla.walmsley, no need to splash too much cash on a feeding station , mine is just a plastic storage box with a hole cut in it (that's the tricky bit). You can either take the lid off and turn it upside down Or keep the lid on and use it the right way up lt's best to put at least one brick on the top to weight it down. If you find you get trouble with cats and/or foxes you can construct a tunnel (you can use bricks or even a bit of drainpipe). Lots of information on the BHPS website https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/
Edited to add, we use rechargeable batteries in our cameras.
Mines about 2yrs old now. When I did a bit of research the Apeman range got highly rated. It was around £65 if I recall from Amazon. You don't need to spend any more than that to be honest. Battery life is pretty good although it takes 8x AAs! Battery consumption depends on what settings you have. Video will consume more. You can set them up as pics only, video only or a combo of pics and video. They are great fun. I would definitely recommend getting a camera @gilla.walmsley
It was actually the video setting one night that made me realise how much water they drank. I guess the Spikey's dry food is a contributor to that! They probably spend equal time eating and drinking.
I agree with Dave. You don't need to buy an expensive camera, the £70 range is very good. I found the mix of still and video invaluable as often the camera doesn't pick up enough info, and sometimes it's the video that shows just how much time your hoggie is spending wandering around. Last night didn't have the camera out, but the crumbs in the food dish ( what was left) clearly showed a visit.😁🦔🍽
This is brilliant, thanks so much all. I'm going to treat myself today and hope to catch a view of my garden visitor soon. Also rechargeable batteries - great idea!
@AnniD I love that feeding station! So nice to be able to see him inside. What did you use to cut the hole with?
@gilla.walmsley , that's not my feeding station (although it's a very similar one ). My OH used a jigsaw to cut it, you need a plastic cutting blade with fine teeth. Apparently it's quite fiddly job as the plastic is quite flexible so you need to restrict its movement. It's best if there are 2 of you, one to hold it steady while the other cuts. @Dave Humby may be able to help, is there an easier way? The other thing is you need to cover the sharp cut edges with tape to protect our spiky friends. This is the problem if you want to be able to see them inside the feeding station (which is half the fun, especially when 2 turn up together !), you need a plastic one.
Hi @AnniD I actually used a very sharp stanley knife on mine if I recall correctly. I cut the hole in the end panel then parallel along the lip of the box if you know what I mean so that maintains the integrity of strength. ie you cut a hole rather than a U. The hog has a small 'doorstep' to go over. I guess it somewhat depends on the thickness of the material of the storage box. They can be a little brittle. If you have tools to hand then a coping saw would be good. I did away with the lid on mine and basically turned it upside down and it sits on a patio slab. Like you we have a couple of bricks (actually roof tiles) holding it down. I lined the hole I had cut with insulation tape. I only put the feed in there. The water stays on the outside then other animals can get to it.
Posts
I use a feeding station with a tunnel, and also have a trail camera. If you look at my post on this page here, you can see what l mean.
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/993170/help-save-the-hedgehogs-part-ii/p112
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/993170/help-save-the-hedgehogs-part-ii/p96
@AnniD I'm so thrilled. I've had to stop digging my wildlife pond mid way through due to my rubbish carpal tunnel so it's great to have something else to get excited about!
Or keep the lid on and use it the right way up
Lots of information on the BHPS website
https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/
Edited to add, we use rechargeable batteries in our cameras.
It was actually the video setting one night that made me realise how much water they drank. I guess the Spikey's dry food is a contributor to that! They probably spend equal time eating and drinking.
@AnniD I love that feeding station! So nice to be able to see him inside. What did you use to cut the hole with?
My OH used a jigsaw to cut it, you need a plastic cutting blade with fine teeth. Apparently it's quite fiddly job as the plastic is quite flexible so you need to restrict its movement. It's best if there are 2 of you, one to hold it steady while the other cuts.
@Dave Humby may be able to help, is there an easier way?
The other thing is you need to cover the sharp cut edges with tape to protect our spiky friends.
This is the problem if you want to be able to see them inside the feeding station (which is half the fun, especially when 2 turn up together !), you need a plastic one.