Hedgehogs - How to Encourage Them?

Hedgehogs - How to Encourage Them?

Author
Discussion

The Mad Monk

Original Poster:

10,612 posts

124 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
I get the occasional hedgehog in the garden. I put food (dog food basically) out for them, but the foxes get most of it first. Can I somehow make sure the hedgehog gets the food and not the foxes?

Zirconia

36,010 posts

291 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
Make a feeding station. Also put out bowls of water.
https://littlesilverhedgehog.com/2016/06/20/hedgeh...

Might need a small obstacle at the entrance to allow the hog in but stop chancers getting in.

PositronicRay

27,526 posts

190 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
A local hedgehog rescue centre advertise for foster/adoption.

Not all hogs are suitable for rehab back to the wild. You do need a secure area and come commitment though.

blueg33

38,533 posts

231 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
Use chicken based cat food. You should avoid dog food and food with beef, lamb or fish in it.

DO NOT GIVE MEALWORMS

We have a pair of hedgehogs in our garden, they have a house in the back corner of a deep healthily planted flower bed and a feeding station so the cats cant get in.

Generally we feed hedgehog food that comes from the local wildlife rescue place, but they say cat food (preferably the dry or semi moist) as above is ok.

Our hedgehogs are a pair , one we rescued as a baby last year, and the other is her mate that she met in the rescue centre smile

Here they are just before release into our garden



Edited by blueg33 on Monday 24th August 11:51

Zirconia

36,010 posts

291 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
I left the back and front lawns grow, mowed a path around them. Lots of hog tracks in the long grass, and no using pesticides and stuff. Let the borders go as well, they will find food in all that jungle. Holes in fences help. Such a pity to see new builds with barriers everywhere and people putting artificial grass down.

Trail camera as well, handy to catch the hogs getting up to things.

TheJimi

25,741 posts

250 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
blueg33 said:
Use chicken based cat food. You should avoid dog food and food with beef or lamb in it.

DO NOT GIVE MEALWORMS

We have a pair of hedgehogs in our garden, they have a house in the back corner of a deep healthily planted flower bed and a feeding station so the cats cant get in.

Generally we feed hedgehog food that comes from the local wildlife rescue place, but they say cat food (preferably the dry or semi moist) as above is ok.

Our hedgehogs are a pair , one we rescued as a baby last year, and the other is her mate that she met in the rescue centre smile

Here they are just before release into our garden

Have they actually stayed in the garden and not wandered off?

blueg33

38,533 posts

231 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
TheJimi said:
Have they actually stayed in the garden and not wandered off?
They go for a wander every night, but basically they sleep in the house we provided and forage in the garden as well as neighbouring fields etc. I often see them in the garden in the evening.

TheJimi

25,741 posts

250 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
blueg33 said:
TheJimi said:
Have they actually stayed in the garden and not wandered off?
They go for a wander every night, but basically they sleep in the house we provided and forage in the garden as well as neighbouring fields etc. I often see them in the garden in the evening.
That's awesome! Very cool that they've actually setup home smile

Howard-

4,958 posts

209 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
A couple of weeks ago as we were sitting outside in the evening, we saw a visiting hedgehog slither under our back gate and have a nose around. So I bought a £40 wildlife camera and left some food (cat biscuits) and water out for him. The next morning I reviewed the footage and he came along and snaffled the lot!

We also had a couple of cats helping themselves, which was inevitable. So I made a hedgehog feeding station consisting of an upturned plastic storage box with a cut-out. Clearly this was too easy for one cat, as he managed to get his head in and bring the food closer. So I made the cut-out smaller, put the food at the back, and put a couple of bricks on top so it can't be moved.

This did the trick, and one night I caught three of them!




This was the first night:



And this little chap appeared briefly also:



And this rather photogenic guy one morning:





Zirconia

36,010 posts

291 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
^^^^^^
Tray of water in front of the entrance works well for cats. Like a pot tray.

Marlin45

1,327 posts

171 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
We would love to have hedgehogs back in our garden but none spotted for at least 5 years.

Moved from Wiltshire to SW Wales 6 years ago and in this area they are in decline. Badger numbers 'appear' to be quite low here (trail cam used all over the farm) but still no 'hogs. Wet weather may be a cause? Up on the hills friends to have them but we'd like them to come back.

Zirconia

36,010 posts

291 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
Marlin45 said:
We would love to have hedgehogs back in our garden but none spotted for at least 5 years.

Moved from Wiltshire to SW Wales 6 years ago and in this area they are in decline. Badger numbers 'appear' to be quite low here (trail cam used all over the farm) but still no 'hogs. Wet weather may be a cause? Up on the hills friends to have them but we'd like them to come back.
I was first alerted some years ago by the poo left in places, very distinctive.
S Wales as well but getting many visits through the year. Garden fence has a few holes to let them in, some holes I made, some the rot has made and one hogs have made (you say farm, guessing fences are not an obstruction). Hogs need the network of gardens in built up area's.

Garden is more of a mess than a Hyacinth Bucket affair, no pesticides and always water out in trays. Wood piles and other such around the place encourage the natural food they hunt. The biscuits are more of a top up. We had quite a few juveniles this year.

mickyh7

2,347 posts

93 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
Whenever Badger numbers are up Hog numbers go down.
You can find the Hog skins all over, neatly gutted on the Farms where I have my Permissions.
Your Springwatch Politicians will have you believe they are Cuddly Stripey Teddy Bears.
They even said when a Badger swam to an Island on a River last year, and ate most of the years Avocet Chick's (dozens of them all filmed one night), that it was a one off !
Not likely, they eat any ground nesting chicks or eggs.
Lots of people are Savvy to wildlife now, leaving holes in fences, putting food out etc.
Too many bloody Badgers.
That is the problem.

The Mad Monk

Original Poster:

10,612 posts

124 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
Marlin45 said:
We would love to have hedgehogs back in our garden but none spotted for at least 5 years.

Moved from Wiltshire to SW Wales 6 years ago and in this area they are in decline. Badger numbers 'appear' to be quite low here (trail cam used all over the farm) but still no 'hogs. Wet weather may be a cause? Up on the hills friends to have them but we'd like them to come back.
It's the Welsh.

They eat all these wild animals - raw.

Who me ?

7,455 posts

219 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
I've not got a hog problem, though I know I've got one. I've left food out for it , but it finds it's own. Problem is that I've got a JRT X yORKY with a very high predatory drive . Most nights Hog is out and about whilst we're all in bed, but occasionally I've got up at circa 0300 and back light is on, and madam is wanting out . Hog can be found where it does best- in around the tomatoes, where slugs/snails love to feed. If madam has no luck, then next morning madam is out rolling, and later on that day I find at least one flea on her. Most flea treatment keeps infestation at bay, as does a wash with flea shampoo, but I'd like madam totally flea free. Any hints ?

Some Gump

12,868 posts

193 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
The Mad Monk said:
Hedgehogs - How to Encourage Them?
Stand at the side of the road and yell "allez allez allez" as they go past? Worked for Froome.

If that doesn't work, try drugs.

The Mad Monk

Original Poster:

10,612 posts

124 months

Monday 24th August 2020
quotequote all
At vast expense, I have bought a plastic storage box from Wilko, cut a hole in the side, newspaper on the bottom, couple of bowls, tomorrow get some food from Tesco, tomorrow evening get set up with wildlife camera, and keep fingers crossed.

I will report back!

Greendubber

13,822 posts

210 months

Friday 28th August 2020
quotequote all
We have a family of them living in the undergrowth on the opposite side of one of our fences. They've made a little path under the fence and we see them every night now. We feel quite lucky to have them visit us so often! I also saw one running the other day, much faster than I thought it would be!

Boosted LS1

21,198 posts

267 months

Friday 28th August 2020
quotequote all
mickyh7 said:
Whenever Badger numbers are up Hog numbers go down.
You can find the Hog skins all over, neatly gutted on the Farms where I have my Permissions.
Too many bloody Badgers.
That is the problem.
Have you a source for this information? I don't have badgers in my town.

mickyh7

2,347 posts

93 months

Saturday 29th August 2020
quotequote all
https://www.conservationjobs.co.uk/articles/are-ba...
There is a lot of evidence if you google.
You may well have Badgers on your town, you just haven't found them.
Some people are secretive about their whereabouts for obvious reasons!