Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Hedgehog lawn damage

rasuca26987rasuca26987 Posts: 4
in Problem solving
A Large family of Hedgehog is visiting our lawn at night and definitely likes our front lawn.  Any suggestions, we had an electric fence for larger animals and it worked so we removed it several years ago.  We live in a rural area.  The area damaged is quite large 50 feet x 40 feet
thank you for any suggestions 
Raul
«13

Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Are you absolutely certain that this is hedgehog damage?
    I just wondered if you have seen them with your own eyes or on a trailcam perhaps, as it could well be a fox or possibly badgers.
  • rasuca26987rasuca26987 Posts: 4
    Thank you for your response.  In our area the only animals we have that dig for food are wild boars and hedgehogs. We have lived here for 20 years and did have prevous problems with deep digging by wild boar families, finely the electric fence got them to change their area of operation.
    Are their any other deterrents for this small animals to go away!! Maybe we will have to build a small ugly electric fence for them
  • CatDouchCatDouch Posts: 488
    Yes I wonder if it’s another animal causing the damage as we have up to 5 hedgehogs visiting our garden and I’ve never seen damage like that.  At the moment squirrels are digging holes in our lawn to bury nuts and it looks a bit of a mess …. but I never worry as I’m happy for any wildlife to visit 😃
    South Devon 
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    I'd just celebrate what wildlife we have left. First time I've heard of anyone wanting to deter Hedgehogs, they're usually what everyone wants.
    I'd get a camera, look at birds as well as mammals


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited October 2023
    Rooks and jackdaws digging for leatherjackets, cockchafer grubs etc would be my bet. 

    I frequently watch hedgehogs  snuffling  around on  our neighbours immaculate front lawn as well as on our less immaculate back lawn. We also watch them trundling around on the soft tilled soil of our veg patch. Not once have I ever seen them dig .., their paws aren’t well designed for digging and they have very sensitive tender snouts with which they detect beetles and grubs in leaf litter and among my lettuces … they don’t even dig in the soft earth … just sort of poke about. 

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





  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Maybe it's worth considering creating good foraging habitat for hedgehogs either in your garden or locally. If you make your garden really insect friendly then the hogs won't have to rely on the lawn for food. Either way the lawn will recover quickly over the winter now.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I am begging you, for goodness' sake do not install a small electric fence to deter hedgehogs (or any other creatures for that matter) without establishing exactly what is causing the damage.

    I have seen the damage that wild boar can cause and that is indeed on another scale altogether.

    If you can, please buy or borrow a trailcam before taking any drastic action. You would be surprised what goings on there are in your garden overnight.
    Hedgehogs are an endangered species, officially classed as vulnerable to extinction in the UK and l am pretty sure that the damage in your photo is not being caused by hedgehogs.

    Have you ever seen foxes or badgers in the area ? 
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    Might be some kind of birds, but I am almost betting tree rats....
    It looks a lot like what the grey squirrels do here. This time of year very actively digging and burying bulbs, nuts, acorns....

    We don't have any hedgehogs at the moment, but as past regulars here we never saw that kind of damage from them, though I had seen them rooting around a bit, not to that level in your photo.

    A little more detective work for you.
    Have a look in the holes does it look like anything has been dug up like a bulb?
    Is there anything in the holes like a nut, seed, or acorn?
    You may find remains of things like this if it is squirrels and they move and re bury things sometimes.
    Are some areas disturbed but recovered over?

    Have a little root around yourself and see if you have any grubs like leather jackets or chafers.

  • Simone_in_WiltshireSimone_in_Wiltshire Posts: 1,073
    @rasuca26987 I have similar “damage” in my garden and after waiting at dark until “my” hedgehog leaves hiding place, we actually saw him digging holes along the path. 
    However, I judge this by importance: what is more worth? A happy hedgehog or a perfect path without holes which can be easily fixed and the hedgehog will start hibernating soon?
    You can imagine what the answer was. 

    We all want to live and have to share this one planet. 

    I ♥ my garden.

  • rasuca26987rasuca26987 Posts: 4
    I love nature, this are not 1 ,2,3  hedgehogs but several families needing food, worms, etc.  our area no rain, our lawn has river water sprinklers making it easier to find food.  We want to help them not to kill them but please don’t destroy all of our grass area every time your family is hungry!  Maybe I could seg up an eating area with some food!!
    We have a farm with lots of olive trees, vegetables growing and do not have a problem.  There are no Fox, squirrels, birds, wild bores ani more digging our garden.  Please if you are going to help us be positive as to our invorement not your area!!!
Sign In or Register to comment.