Become a hedgehog champion! - Page 2

• Just found this forum after messing about with my i-pad to down load the FREE I-pad app for Gardener's World.Fabulous!Just a break from adding the compost to the flower beds ready to feed all the little creatures in the soil.I must say I fully agree with the last two garden (nature) lovers comments .We might not like the slimy ones but like it or not THEY do feed our other little creatures in the food chain ,Chris Packum(sorry Chris if I spelt your name wrong X) was absolutely right a few Gardeners World articles ago when he said  everything has a place in the food chain-
• I don't know what use lily-beetles or vine-weevils have though? but apart from them love em or hate them everything-else does!Even Otters!! who last year ate all my beautiful Koi. I now have little Canary goldfish-11 actually to make a football team-my football team O.T.B.C.

Kitiekat. Sorry I didn't answer your question, I don't turn on email notifications. In fact 'my' hoggies were all perfectly healthy just a little on the small side. The lady who rescues them really wants them to stay secure in a single garden where no slug pellets etc are used.  I did my best but one by one they found their way out, sadly one was run over. Talking to another 'rehomer' I am happy that they are living a proper wild existence roaming around though I miss Blue Boy waiting by the (well-fenced) pond each evening for his food. One of my neighbours has had a sighting and I know it's one of my boys because this area has been completely devoid of hedgehogs for many years. I'm now thinking I will unblock some of my boundaries so they can get back in if they want to!!!

Hi FloBear, if you make sure there is a wayin/out of your garden and leave food and water out regularly you will probably have the pleasure of seeing Blue Boy back in your garden again. Most hoggies prefer NOT to eat slugs/snails and prefer beatles etc instead. Slugs can cause lungworm (i found a hog in may garden during the day yesterday and a visit to the recue confirmed lungworm and she is now on a course of treatment)

Its surprising how small a gap they can squeeze through, i have several gaps in my fence-some quite large but i'm still amazed when i see one squeeze under the panels or between the slats.

There will be many Autumn juveniles looking to fatten up before they hibernate so this time is crucial for supplementary feeding. Any hog under 500g is unlikely to survive the winter and may need to be overwintered with a fosterer and then released again once the weather improves.

Hi kitiekat. Thanks for your suggestions.

Flo :- )

Hello, I'm ever hopeful that I will have some hedgehogs. I have some gaps in the boundary to next door just in case.  Flo- sorry to hear about Blue Boy, but as you said, he's living the natural life. Are you going to do some more re-homing?

Hollie-Hock, I don't know if I can admit to the rescue woman that my charges have gone adventuring and I would feel guilty at taking any more knowing I'm not really doing what she intended. I'm going to take kitiekat's advice and see what happens.

I do hope that hedgehogs find your garden one day :- )

Hi Flo, I would have a chat with the resue woman and talk to her about  your experience. Don't give up, to me if one hedgehog is now a familiar in you area, then there's lots of possibilities.

Remember to keep putting out food and water for the hedgehogs. There will be a lot of Autumn juveniles about now who need to put on adequate body weight to survive hibernation. Meat flavour cat/dog food and water NOT milk will encourage the hoggies into your garden, providing you have a way of them getting in/out. If local cats are an issue try placing the food under a slightly raised paving slab or piece of wood. It needs to be approx 5" high so hoggies can reach it but the cats cant. Alternatively create a feeding station out of an upturned plastic box with a small opening cut out (remove or cover sharp edges). Remember if you see a hog out in daylight its is more than likely in need of help. Survival will depend on it getting the correct help so please contact British Hedgehog society who can put you in touch with the nearest carer.