I use mealworm for the birds but a hedgehog has been enjoying them too. Gave it cat food but it was rejected in favour of the meal worms fallen from the bird table!
@tessagardenbarmy . I wonder if the trick we learn to teach parrot like species to eat a better diet might work. Although mealworms are frowned upon to feed hogs, try not to put too many out or clear the bits up? Temporarily, I know it may be a bit of work initially.
Then place just a couple, two or three on top of the cat food, the hog will go to it and hopefully eat some of the cat food too. They get used to going to the dish and then you can stop putting out/remove the couple of mealworms (Garnish). The hogs may well still pick bits up from the garden bird leavings. But they will get used to taking the food that is better for them.
I hope that helps, I did it with our hogs in a new feeding station.
@tessagardenbarmy, l know there may be just a few left lying about, but mealworms are no good to hedgehogs, they are like the hoggy equivalent of crisps ! It may seem there are not many left lying around, but they can visit several gardens in a night and hoover up mealworms all over the place, so it's best to sweep them up before dusk if you possibly can. All hedgehog rescues give this advice, and the following link from hedgehog street gives more info https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/i-feed-hedgehogs-mealworms/ It's lovely to see them snuffling round the garden isn't it - they are such characters
The way I get around putting out mealworms is to put them in the feeder dish on the birdstand so as few as possible reach the ground. I also stop putting them out from next month as they are not good for baby birds either, so they are only used for about three months.
Sell hedgehogs, as my Dad would say "whatever next". This is awful and surely must be banned by law. If there is a way to make money people will do it - we hear of such vile acts being committed to make money, and this is so sad, poor defenseless creatures.
I think they're becoming a bit of a fad pet due to social media. The usual ones you see are the African pygmy hedgehogs but no doubt enough people want to buy them that there's a market for any kind of hedgehog now.
It's the same story with a lot of animals that get internet exposure for being 'cute'. Look at how popular Pugs are now. They're a dog with a huge risk of serious health problems that no one seems to care about as long as it's cute and gets them likes on Facebook etc. People will buy them from dodgy breeders and puppy farms with no health checks just to save money or because they're too impatient to wait for a decent animal to become available.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
@tessagardenbarmy . I wonder if the trick we learn to teach parrot like species to eat a better diet might work. Although mealworms are frowned upon to feed hogs, try not to put too many out or clear the bits up? Temporarily, I know it may be a bit of work initially.
I currently use mealworms as hedgehog 'bait'! I have not seen a hog since August and only saw the one individual last year and rarely at that.In previous years I have had several every night and through the winter as well. As cats and rats don't seem to like mealworms I put out a few scattered around.Once I know a hog is around I can swap to the good food.Can't waste the proper food on anything but hedgehogs,just to expensive! Birds tend to hoover up any mealworms so not wasted. Still have the trail cam out but no hog sightings so could be hibernating. My first sighting last year was 18th January so could be lucky.Just wondering if the very hot weather last year had anything to do with their absence?
“Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
We hopefully won't be seeing any hog around here now as the ground is covered with snow, and it's proving impossible to keep the water from freezing (out multiple times during the day) Just hope they are well tucked up.
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Although mealworms are frowned upon to feed hogs, try not to put too many out or clear the bits up? Temporarily, I know it may be a bit of work initially.
Then place just a couple, two or three on top of the cat food, the hog will go to it and hopefully eat some of the cat food too. They get used to going to the dish and then you can stop putting out/remove the couple of mealworms (Garnish).
The hogs may well still pick bits up from the garden bird leavings. But they will get used to taking the food that is better for them.
I hope that helps, I did it with our hogs in a new feeding station.
https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/i-feed-hedgehogs-mealworms/
It's lovely to see them snuffling round the garden isn't it - they are such characters
I have not seen a hog since August and only saw the one individual last year and rarely at that.In previous years I have had several every night and through the winter as well.
As cats and rats don't seem to like mealworms I put out a few scattered around.Once I know a hog is around I can swap to the good food.Can't waste the proper food on anything but hedgehogs,just to expensive!
Birds tend to hoover up any mealworms so not wasted.
Still have the trail cam out but no hog sightings so could be hibernating.
My first sighting last year was 18th January so could be lucky.Just wondering if the very hot weather last year had anything to do with their absence?
@madpenguin they did suffer during the heatwave, the local rescues had a lot coming in with dehydration, and they weren't alone -
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-heatwave-wildlife-hedgehogs-frogs-birds-sun-hot-temperature-climate-change-a8466891.html