There are a couple of good helpful hedgehog sites, one is hedgehog street, many helpful people only to willing to help with any enquiries,easily found on google etc. The other one is BHPS, again very helpful.
I 'left' a small pile of pet hay in a dry corner of the garden yesterday - by yesterday evening most of it had gone and there was a trail of hay leading to one of the hedgehog houses
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Richard - they can swim really well, but as you say they can't get out of many ponds. I had a very small pond - 3ft by 4ft and I found one hedgehog swimming around in it which I had to scoop out by putting my hands underneath him each side, and very sadly another one dead in it. I ended up putting loads of big rocks in it so that hedgehogs could at least get out of the water, and eventually I ended up getting rid of it and putting out bowls of water around the garden for the wildlife instead. Luckily, I've found 6 baby hedgehogs in the last week or so and got them to a rescue centre for overwintering, so hopefully that makes up a little bit for having one drown on me! The lady at the rescue centre told me that an estimated 4 1/2 million hedgehogs have been lost this year in the flooding - taking them from the endangered list to the near extinct list. She also told me that at the moment, rescue centres have been asked not to release any hedgehogs into the wild next Spring as they are considering starting up a nationwide breeding programme to try and restore their numbers. So sad.
I leave all dead foliage over winter so have lots of places for hedgehogs but my garden is fenced all round and I'm not sure how hedgehogs would get in which is a shame as there is always water for the birds(kept ice free) and LOADS of slugs and snails.
Hi whenever i am out in my car on country roads especially I always carry a newspaper and thick gardening glove . If I see a hedgehog in the road or trying to cross it is easy to place the paper beside the hedgehog and then roll it on to the paper and translocate it away from the traffic so that its safe to live another day. Yes it might walk back again but every little helps there is far to many killed on the roads. No I have never had a flea problem perhaps because am only handling for a short period as I roll it on and off the paper. Just an idea . marianne
When I lived in Norfolk many commons had cattle grids to keep the cattle from straying on to the roads. These were not good news for hedgehogs as nightly many fell between the grids and could not get up the sheer sides. We implemented special planks of wood laid slanting from top to bottom so that they had an escape route to scramble out which they quickly learnt to use. Anything to help them survive is so important. thought this might interest you marianne
I decided to buy a hedgehog house this year (bit of a cheat I know but I'm not that good at woodwork!).
I've placed it down the scruffy end of the garden with lots of Agapanthus leaves draped over it. I've also placed some bark around it and some grass inside. I have put some water outside and some food that I bought specially from a pet shop as I wasn't sure what they ate apart from slugs and snails.
I hadn't realised until I read that they are an endangered species until I read the packet of food.
I'm now hoping that they'll help me next year when they come out of hibernation by eating the slugs and snails on my vegetable garden!
I have put some water outside and some food that I bought specially from a pet shop as I wasn't sure what they ate apart from slugs and snails. .... I'm now hoping that they'll help me next year when they come out of hibernation by eating the slugs and snails on my vegetable garden!
Guys/Girls, Please be aware that Hedgehogs DO NOT eat large numbers of slugs and snails. The majority of a hedgehog's diet comprises insects, beetles, caterpillars, small vertebrates and sometimes eggs. They will eat about 5% slugs and snails but only if VERY hungry. Slugs and snails are a very bad food for hedgehogs as they contain lots of lungworm larvae and fluke larvae both of which are killers.
If you see a hog out in the daytime (ever) or any small hedgehogs at this time of year please pick them up and take them to a hedgehog rescue centre asap. Hedgehogs need to weigh at least 800g to hibernate successfully, so if you see smaller ones now please rescue them immediately. Pop them in a bucket, put a towel on top of them, bring inside to keep them warm and call the centre. If you do find a small one please check around as there will frequently be siblings. Most hedgehogs have hibernated by now. They do wake up to eat and drink but only for very short periods, so most you see out and about now are in trouble.
I have a couple of injured hogs in my walled garden who came from a rescue centre as they are too damaged to survive in the wild. They are truly lovely little animals, (although not terribly bright) and it is very rewarding to see them bumbling around at dusk. The simplest and best food for them is a meat based small cat or kitten biscuit. If you regularly see hogs in your garden it would be kind to keep some out, preferably in a catproof feeder (see websites mentioned above for design), as well as some fresh water for hibernating hedgehogs who have stirred.
Please be aware that in the late autumn/early winter healthy well-developed hedgehogs of good weight do venture out during daylight hours to gather dry leaves etc to make their hibernacula - these hedgehogs do not need rescuing. They do this as frequently the nightime hours at that time of year are damp. We've watched hedgehogs gathering leaves in our garden on dry days this autumn.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Posts
There are a couple of good helpful hedgehog sites, one is hedgehog street, many helpful people only to willing to help with any enquiries,easily found on google etc. The other one is BHPS, again very helpful.
SandyJG
I 'left' a small pile of pet hay in a dry corner of the garden yesterday - by yesterday evening most of it had gone and there was a trail of hay leading to one of the hedgehog houses
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Richard - they can swim really well, but as you say they can't get out of many ponds. I had a very small pond - 3ft by 4ft and I found one hedgehog swimming around in it which I had to scoop out by putting my hands underneath him each side, and very sadly another one dead in it. I ended up putting loads of big rocks in it so that hedgehogs could at least get out of the water, and eventually I ended up getting rid of it and putting out bowls of water around the garden for the wildlife instead. Luckily, I've found 6 baby hedgehogs in the last week or so and got them to a rescue centre for overwintering, so hopefully that makes up a little bit for having one drown on me! The lady at the rescue centre told me that an estimated 4 1/2 million hedgehogs have been lost this year in the flooding - taking them from the endangered list to the near extinct list. She also told me that at the moment, rescue centres have been asked not to release any hedgehogs into the wild next Spring as they are considering starting up a nationwide breeding programme to try and restore their numbers. So sad.
We've had small holes cut at the bottom of the fences so that the hedgehogs can wander from garden to garden - it's quite easy to do and so important!
Here's how to do it http://thehedgehog.co.uk/garden.htm
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
When I lived in Norfolk many commons had cattle grids to keep the cattle from straying on to the roads. These were not good news for hedgehogs as nightly many fell between the grids and could not get up the sheer sides. We implemented special planks of wood laid slanting from top to bottom so that they had an escape route to scramble out which they quickly learnt to use. Anything to help them survive is so important. thought this might interest you marianne
I've placed it down the scruffy end of the garden with lots of Agapanthus leaves draped over it. I've also placed some bark around it and some grass inside. I have put some water outside and some food that I bought specially from a pet shop as I wasn't sure what they ate apart from slugs and snails.
I hadn't realised until I read that they are an endangered species until I read the packet of food.
I'm now hoping that they'll help me next year when they come out of hibernation by eating the slugs and snails on my vegetable garden!
Guys/Girls, Please be aware that Hedgehogs DO NOT eat large numbers of slugs and snails. The majority of a hedgehog's diet comprises insects, beetles, caterpillars, small vertebrates and sometimes eggs. They will eat about 5% slugs and snails but only if VERY hungry. Slugs and snails are a very bad food for hedgehogs as they contain lots of lungworm larvae and fluke larvae both of which are killers.
If you see a hog out in the daytime (ever) or any small hedgehogs at this time of year please pick them up and take them to a hedgehog rescue centre asap. Hedgehogs need to weigh at least 800g to hibernate successfully, so if you see smaller ones now please rescue them immediately. Pop them in a bucket, put a towel on top of them, bring inside to keep them warm and call the centre. If you do find a small one please check around as there will frequently be siblings. Most hedgehogs have hibernated by now. They do wake up to eat and drink but only for very short periods, so most you see out and about now are in trouble.
I have a couple of injured hogs in my walled garden who came from a rescue centre as they are too damaged to survive in the wild. They are truly lovely little animals, (although not terribly bright) and it is very rewarding to see them bumbling around at dusk. The simplest and best food for them is a meat based small cat or kitten biscuit. If you regularly see hogs in your garden it would be kind to keep some out, preferably in a catproof feeder (see websites mentioned above for design), as well as some fresh water for hibernating hedgehogs who have stirred.
Please be aware that in the late autumn/early winter healthy well-developed hedgehogs of good weight do venture out during daylight hours to gather dry leaves etc to make their hibernacula - these hedgehogs do not need rescuing. They do this as frequently the nightime hours at that time of year are damp. We've watched hedgehogs gathering leaves in our garden on dry days this autumn.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.