Can anyone advise me we have a family of Hedgehogs living in the far corner of our garden. I have two feed and water bowls set up for them. I was looking out of the potio window just now and saw two rats running over there. Question will they attack to Hedgehog family and if so what if anything can I do to stop this happening. The Hedgehogs are still in their old nest as far as we know but I have just put out the second Hog House and don't want the rats going in there instead, should I move them or leave the Hog House's where they are? At the moment I don't know what or if anything is using the house's but I don't want the rats to get to cossy.
I made the mistake of putting food in the house and that brought rats, but putting food in the middle of the garden stopped that. Plus putting a bait box down too helped, as long as you make the opening too small for a hogs head you will be ok.
Thanks purplerallim, I've made the mistake of putting one feeding station in the shrubbery and the other in front of the patio windows so I can see them. I'll move them both into the open on the lawn and get the bait box back out. We had this problem and thought we had go away with it but one neighbour put meat out for the fox's and food for the birds. The other one's garden is so over grown and they throw whatever they don't want into the garden so it's an ideal breeding ground for them.
@NannaBoo , it's rare for rats to attack hedgehogs but it does happen. It's a difficult situation, because obviously you don't want to risk putting down rat poison, and l think l am right in saying that even if you caught the rat in an humane trap it is illegal to release it elsewhere. The other problem you might have is that the hedgehog gets trapped instead. There are a couple of things you could try, but l have no experience myself so it's only what l have read over the years. First thing is to only put food out at dusk, and put it as near to the hedgehog house as possible. I can't remember if you've said, but are the bowls out in the open air ? Maybe a feeding station with a tunnel entrance might deter the rats.The other thing is ,if possible to take the food in just before you go to bed. Another theory is to put the bowls out in the open as in the middle of the garden, as apparently rats prefer cover. Also to use dry food such as cat biscuits rather than cat or dog food. Maybe @timmy77 has some advice from their rescue?
A few things that we do which you may feel worth copying @NannaBoo. We use dry hedgehog food, although I am sure dry cat biscuits would do just as well. The smell of meat does attract rats and mice as well as any cats roaming through the garden which is why we don't use wet food.
We have the hog biscuits just outside our French (glass) doors so we can keep a watch for the hogs and we bring the food in when we go to bed before midnight. The hogs know this routine and they come to feed early at around 8 or 9 now, and pop back from time to time to fill up on the biscuits before we bring them in. Water bowls are placed around the garden with one being next to their biscuit bowl.
Rats like to run along walls,fence or shed sides , so putting in the middle puts them off. I do use Spike dry food and large water bowls ( plant pot dishes) and the bait box is surrounded by bricks so only rats/ mice can get in and is beside the fence.
Thanks AnniD, I'll PM timmy77 and ask for advice. I have noticed that the rat don't like to be in the open for to long so putting the food in the open might be a better idea. I have stopped putting down the mousse now as the babies are taking the cat biscuits. I have a nasty feeling the rats could be nesting in my compost bins which are near where the Hedgehogs are so that will need to be sorted. One lot of the food is on the patio along with water and the other is over near their nest again with water but that one is in the feeding station. I'm just worried the rats might also have set up home in one of the Hog Houses. I have spoken to both neighbours but neither see worried and are not going to do anything, one told me it was my fault for growing food.
At least you have told the neighbours, that's as much as you can do. If there are rats in your compost bins, it might be worth contacting a professional rat catcher. Normally l would just suggest putting out traps, but there are all sorts of horror stories about hedgehogs getting poisoned. I wish you luck, let us know how you get on.
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There are a couple of things you could try, but l have no experience myself so it's only what l have read over the years.
First thing is to only put food out at dusk, and put it as near to the hedgehog house as possible. I can't remember if you've said, but are the bowls out in the open air ? Maybe a feeding station with a tunnel entrance might deter the rats.The other thing is ,if possible to take the food in just before you go to bed.
Another theory is to put the bowls out in the open as in the middle of the garden, as apparently rats prefer cover. Also to use dry food such as cat biscuits rather than cat or dog food.
Maybe @timmy77 has some advice from their rescue?
I wish you luck, let us know how you get on.