Last year I had a family of Hedgehogs in my garden - it was lovely- I grew up in Canada and we dont have them there- I hadnt seen one before in the wild- I had to ask what it was! My older neighbour has had them for several years. I have a garden that is hard to manage - have turned into a wildlife garden for the most part- I need to build a hedgehog house. Now the bad news. The other neighbour next to me got a dog last autumn and the hedgehogs stopped coming around. I dont know if it was because it was getting time for them to move on- where? or if the neihbours dog- staffie/jack russel has scared them off. Any ideas?
There were at least 3 around here that I would see regularly and two would visit my garden every night until some time last summer the visits just stopped and the food wasn't getting eaten
I hope they've just moved on and it isnt dog attacks or some mean person containing them
I'd still put out food and water guys, they may come back around after hibernation or offspring from one of their litters etc after mating season. When people let out the dog the hedgehogs will normally scamper or when the sensor light comes on etc they will learn this is a sign. Most dogs will be put off by the spikes and leave them alone, although more aggressive breeds (trying not to judge) seem to be persistent and can cause horrendous damage with their teeth. However, if they recently made their garden dog proof, it may have blocked their path into your area or meant they are stuck in that one garden. If it it's a larger dog, you could see if you can make 5" holes in the fence or under hedging.
Hi, Mark, can't believe I missed this thread when you first posted.
I'd heard of hedgehog sanctury's and family's who foster hedgehogs to release back into the wild, there are a couple in Lancashire.
This may seem a silly question and not practical but I have a large allotment, it is enclosed, I'm very protective of my crop and don't want rabbits getting in, so there is a fence all around it. I grow organically and have been searching the internet to see if anyone with an allotment has acted as a santury but not been able to find anything.
There is already alot of wildlife on the plot...frogs, toads and I had slow worms on my first plot. I get grass hoppers too. How would one find out about becoming a santuary...or would a hegdehog eat all the veg...
Hi Zoomer! The fact that your showing care and want to help is fantastic. I would contact your nearest rescue centre/contact to see if they have any advice or perhaps need volunteers in general and for fostering (here's a list via a map of the UK) - http://www.hedgehog-rescue.org.uk/cms/find-a-rescue/ They normally require you to be 30 minutes away at max incase of emergencies.
Hedgehogs can travel up to 2 miles a night in search of food, so people will only release hedgehogs where there is already others for breeding purposes and indications that food is available in the area. They will not eat your veg, only the pests that will they are our best friend when it comes to allotments and gardens.
I wonder if there is a way to deter the rabbits that will allow 5" holes in the fence and not affect hedgehogs.
Thought you might like to see our hedgehog feeding station made from some old decking planks and polycarb roof sheet. Keeps the food dry when it's raining. We have 5 hoggies adopted from a local rescue. Plenty of food going missing so they're definitely on the prowl )
Many thanks for all the info ..... I've just signed up.
I live in a very rural setting ... just post and rail fences around here so any hogs can roam freely.
Someone in our village said there used to be plenty around here but the number have dwindled since the population of badgers has increased. Are badgers a danger to hedgehogs?
Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
That's great to see Jasmine. Do you have many cats in your area? I'm wondering if they are stealing some
Bee witched It is true that badgers eat hedgehogs but there's many conflicting studies about whether or not they affect the numbers of hedgehogs as they are generally dropping due to other environmental factors as well. Badgers will usually opt for easier food first. Try and put some food out in a hedgehog feeding station and see whether any visit?
Posts
I've signed too, we have saved a few hedgehogs over the years, I love them
It's most likely to be because they're hibernating - lots of info here http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/
They should be reappearing in the evenings any time now
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I'm concerned about the dog thing too begonia.
There were at least 3 around here that I would see regularly and two would visit my garden every night until some time last summer the visits just stopped and the food wasn't getting eaten
I hope they've just moved on and it isnt dog attacks or some mean person containing them
I'd still put out food and water guys, they may come back around after hibernation or offspring from one of their litters etc after mating season. When people let out the dog the hedgehogs will normally scamper or when the sensor light comes on etc they will learn this is a sign. Most dogs will be put off by the spikes and leave them alone, although more aggressive breeds (trying not to judge) seem to be persistent and can cause horrendous damage with their teeth. However, if they recently made their garden dog proof, it may have blocked their path into your area or meant they are stuck in that one garden. If it it's a larger dog, you could see if you can make 5" holes in the fence or under hedging.
Hi, Mark, can't believe I missed this thread when you first posted.
I'd heard of hedgehog sanctury's and family's who foster hedgehogs to release back into the wild, there are a couple in Lancashire.
This may seem a silly question and not practical but I have a large allotment, it is enclosed, I'm very protective of my crop and don't want rabbits getting in, so there is a fence all around it. I grow organically and have been searching the internet to see if anyone with an allotment has acted as a santury but not been able to find anything.
There is already alot of wildlife on the plot...frogs, toads and I had slow worms on my first plot. I get grass hoppers too. How would one find out about becoming a santuary...or would a hegdehog eat all the veg...
Hi Zoomer! The fact that your showing care and want to help is fantastic. I would contact your nearest rescue centre/contact to see if they have any advice or perhaps need volunteers in general and for fostering (here's a list via a map of the UK) - http://www.hedgehog-rescue.org.uk/cms/find-a-rescue/ They normally require you to be 30 minutes away at max incase of emergencies.
Hedgehogs can travel up to 2 miles a night in search of food, so people will only release hedgehogs where there is already others for breeding purposes and indications that food is available in the area. They will not eat your veg, only the pests that will
they are our best friend when it comes to allotments and gardens.
I wonder if there is a way to deter the rabbits that will allow 5" holes in the fence and not affect hedgehogs.
Thought you might like to see our hedgehog feeding station made from some old decking planks and polycarb roof sheet. Keeps the food dry when it's raining. We have 5 hoggies adopted from a local rescue. Plenty of food going missing so they're definitely on the prowl
)
Hi Mark,
Many thanks for all the info ..... I've just signed up.
I live in a very rural setting ... just post and rail fences around here so any hogs can roam freely.
Someone in our village said there used to be plenty around here but the number have dwindled since the population of badgers has increased. Are badgers a danger to hedgehogs?
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
That's great to see Jasmine. Do you have many cats in your area? I'm wondering if they are stealing some
Bee witched It is true that badgers eat hedgehogs but there's many conflicting studies about whether or not they affect the numbers of hedgehogs as they are generally dropping due to other environmental factors as well. Badgers will usually opt for easier food first. Try and put some food out in a hedgehog feeding station and see whether any visit?
Zoomer44 No problem at all!