I had hedgehogs all the time in the gardens of my previous three houses, which were in villages, but have never had any in my current garden, which is in the middle of farmland. We do have lot of badgers locally but I've always thought it is more likely to be the lack of cover around as it's all arable or grazing.
Yes, we have a low wall on one side, then fence the other two, but with no visible gaps anywhere at all. Never seen hedgehog in here and was going to try introducing one, but the person on the heath whom I asked said they had to be able to go from garden to garden (ours is too small and it wouldn't do the hedgehog any good to be stuck in it). Sigh!
I should have typed before uploading sorry I can't get the text above them. The last picture was taken about half an hour ago and I am hoping it is my hibernaculum - you can't really see the height or solidity of this from the photo but it is quite dense and you can see why I was out clearing the garden - but I left this alone (I have loads of moss and weeds). The first two are from 2012 I think - judging from the sequence of photos on my phone but he was also there last year. One year I saw it wandering through with two little ones. That was me - hooked!
Thank you so much for the links Dove - I'll make myself a cup of tea and have a good look at them. I don't have a huge garden either Jess - and live in a smallish town - not out in the country. My garden backs onto a noisy, busy main road but luckily there is a wall between us and the hedgehogs make their way through the hedges dividing the gardens. The other side of the estate is quite countryish I suppose in terms of landscaping there are lots of shrub and tree areas and the houses further in back onto the Seine so there is probably quite a lot of wildlife but I definitely don't think there are badgers around here. But he is so cute isn't he? I love his little nose.
We are clearing part of the garden. OH has strict instructions to go very carefully as there is lean to wood and lots of leaves (very deep layer) that would be an ideal place for them to go. However have never seen or heard one here.
Thought of Dove while I was giving out take care instructions
Hello, not been on for a while, it have a look around sometimes.
Dove, never thought about fence panelling and hedgehogs, glad I don't have any now. I could feed an army of them in my garden with the thousands of slugs we have. Would love to have just one, but would the cats bother it?
Lavande - that is exactly like the hibernaculum we found being occupied in our garden a couple of years ago. OH nearly trod on it and was mortified - we moved it to a safer and sheltered corner of the garden and placed it in a cardboard box on it's side - more so that we remembered where it was than for any other reason.
Hefty Hedgehog is now a regular visitor to feeding stations and fresh water bowls in the garden during the summer, and frequently other hedgehogs visit as well, coming through the small hole we've made at the bottom of the fence
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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I had hedgehogs all the time in the gardens of my previous three houses, which were in villages, but have never had any in my current garden, which is in the middle of farmland. We do have lot of badgers locally but I've always thought it is more likely to be the lack of cover around as it's all arable or grazing.
If badgers eat a hedgehog they leave the empty spiny skin as evidence.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Yes, we have a low wall on one side, then fence the other two, but with no visible gaps anywhere at all. Never seen hedgehog in here and was going to try introducing one, but the person on the heath whom I asked said they had to be able to go from garden to garden (ours is too small and it wouldn't do the hedgehog any good to be stuck in it). Sigh!
I should have typed before uploading sorry I can't get the text above them. The last picture was taken about half an hour ago and I am hoping it is my hibernaculum - you can't really see the height or solidity of this from the photo but it is quite dense and you can see why I was out clearing the garden - but I left this alone (I have loads of moss and weeds). The first two are from 2012 I think - judging from the sequence of photos on my phone but he was also there last year. One year I saw it wandering through with two little ones. That was me - hooked!
Thank you so much for the links Dove - I'll make myself a cup of tea and have a good look at them. I don't have a huge garden either Jess - and live in a smallish town - not out in the country. My garden backs onto a noisy, busy main road but luckily there is a wall between us and the hedgehogs make their way through the hedges dividing the gardens. The other side of the estate is quite countryish I suppose in terms of landscaping there are lots of shrub and tree areas and the houses further in back onto the Seine so there is probably quite a lot of wildlife but I definitely don't think there are badgers around here. But he is so cute isn't he? I love his little nose.
He's really cute, there's something so cuddly about hedgehogs, except for the prickles!
We are clearing part of the garden. OH has strict instructions to go very carefully as there is lean to wood and lots of leaves (very deep layer) that would be an ideal place for them to go. However have never seen or heard one here.
Thought of Dove while I was giving out take care instructions
Wishful thinking probably
Gorgeous pictures Lavande - soooo sweet
Hello, not been on for a while, it have a look around sometimes.
Dove, never thought about fence panelling and hedgehogs, glad I don't have any now. I could feed an army of them in my garden with the thousands of slugs we have. Would love to have just one, but would the cats bother it?
Lavande - that is exactly like the hibernaculum we found being occupied in our garden a couple of years ago. OH nearly trod on it and was mortified - we moved it to a safer and sheltered corner of the garden and placed it in a cardboard box on it's side - more so that we remembered where it was than for any other reason.
Hefty Hedgehog is now a regular visitor to feeding stations and fresh water bowls in the garden during the summer, and frequently other hedgehogs visit as well, coming through the small hole we've made at the bottom of the fence
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Will have an attempt at making small holes in fence as well then. Shallow wild life pond already planned
Thanks Dove