Hedgehog home or rat house

Posts

• Fairygirl Posts: 55,117

  February 2023

  That's quite difficult, but rats will make a home where there's a nice warm dry site, and a handy source of food, so the bed would need to be suitable in that way.
  Under a raised bed won't be very attractive to a hedgehog though. Hogs will like a quiet place with good cover, which is why a bed you'll be working and planting in, won't be suitable.
  If you have a corner where you can leave prunings, leaves etc, they may find their way to that, but it can be a hit and miss process, and even if you have a purpose made house for them, it doesn't mean they'll use it.
  If you've seen them in the garden, you can put food out [there are proprietary makes]  and make sure they have a safe water source. You can also use cat food, but it inevitably attracts those too. If they don't have suitable points to access the garden, you can put those in place. Gaps at the foot of fences etc. 
   
  I'm not sure why you have gaps at the foot of the beds though. They really need to be in decent contact with the ground or soil/compost will tend to leach out, so fill those in appropriately   

  It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
  
  
  
  I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...

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• SueG1 Posts: 41

  February 2023

  We did have a rat take up residence in our hedgehog box last year but it was pretty old and manky looking so we just ignored it. It seems to have disappeared now, probably died and we now have a hedgehog in there much to our delight.
  

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• AnniD Posts: 12,585

  February 2023 edited February 2023

  I have read that a sprinkling of peppermint oil dters rats as they don't like it, but hedgehogs don't seem to mind it. No personal experience of trying that though !
  
  You can also try feeding hedgehogs at a certain time every evening, they get used to knowing when the food is available and after that you can clear the dish away. 
  Hope this help @crispin evans, you can find more information on the Hedgehog Street website. 
  https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/
  

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• M33R4 Posts: 291

  February 2023

  crispin evans said:

  .... have noticed their are a couple of places which would make little burrows/access points underneath the raised beds. ...

  I noticed the same in my garden too, in a raised bed (I leave that bed alone as it has established geranium) right next to my table bird feeder where I put fat balls out and which not only the birds, but a rat loves too!
  
  I am not sure where it comes from or where it lives as I've spotted it on the bird table a couple of times. Next door have decking across most of their garden with a hot tub. I spotted a tunnel under my fence from that side so I presume this is some form of a rat highway. I also spotted another such tunnel from under the fence of the opposite neighbour, who also have decking. 
  

  I wish I could garden all year round!

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• bcpathome Posts: 1,313

  February 2023

  Decking is great for rats ,they love it .We took ours out and put a small patio instead ,no rats now .

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