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Will hedgehogs use a tunnel under the fence?

myclayjunglemyclayjungle Posts: 162
in Problem solving
I realise this isn't about plants, but hoping someone could advise.  We've moved to a home where all the fences have gravel boards at the base.  There are some small gaps in places which I'd like to dig out further to a hog sized tunnel.  Would they use them though?
Coastal Suffolk/Essex Border- Clay soil

Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    as a guide, the size of  a CD is perfect
    Devon.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    putting in a bit of hog-sized tubing can help
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    They do here 🦔 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    The ones that visit my garden do. My garden's a bit of a crossroads. There's a gap under the left and rear fences, a hole in the fence on the right and they go under a gap under the garden gate to the front. I really need to get my wildlife camera set up again so I can check the goings on.
  • myclayjunglemyclayjungle Posts: 162
    Thanks everyone.  I thought they might, but wasn't sure if they'd work out that travelling down into the ground would get them safely out the other side.  Luckily, the neighbors are keen too.
    Coastal Suffolk/Essex Border- Clay soil
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    If you can encourage your neighbours  to do the same, you can form a "Hedgehog Highway". Hedgehogs can cover a fair distance each night 🦔.
    https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/link-your-garden/
  • clarke.bruntclarke.brunt Posts: 215
    edited March 2021
    I just measured the 'scrape' under a fence gravel board where I assume they come into my garden (I can't see anywhere else they could). It's just 3 inches high - plenty I think. You're not talking far into the ground are you - I assume the gravel board stops at ground level?

    I've got a camera aimed at the usual feeding spot on the lawn (just put the nightly handful of food down) so I expect the nightly visitor will be here soon. Saw the hedgehog head-butt a mouse which was trying the share the other night. Perhaps I should aim the camera at the fence-hole instead one night.

    Later: sure enough hedgehog turned up a few minutes after the handful of food (I have to wait until it's dark enough that birds don't eat it). I sometimes think the hedgehog must be hiding nearby, waiting for me to put the food out.
  • februarysgirlfebruarysgirl Posts: 835
    clarke.brunt said:

    I've got a camera aimed at the usual feeding spot on the lawn (just put the nightly handful of food down) so I expect the nightly visitor will be here soon. Saw the hedgehog head-butt a mouse which was trying the share the other night. Perhaps I should aim the camera at the fence-hole instead one night.


    I had the camera pointing at one of the gaps last year. On footage from one particular night, one of the local cats kept stooping down to look at something and the next thing you see is the hedgehog coming up from under the gravel board. Hedgehog goes on its merry way, completely unperturbed, but the cat is bewildered. For about 10 minutes it kept checking to see whether anything else was going to come out 😂
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    The cat was probably thinking "Jeez, I'm glad I didn't squat over that hole"
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