Hedgehog in the garden

[Fly]

We have a small garden with a pond. There is a hedgehog tonight by the pond. What should we do? RSPCA not answering. A. Nothing; b. feed it; c. Capture it and take it to the local woods

[benmorg]

Leave it alone, it will be fine. Some info here:

http://thehedgehog.co.uk/extinct.htm

[HTED]

Hi,

We used to have hedgehogs regularly. We sometimes fed them - dog food is supposed to be good for them (not milk and bread as sometimes thought). But as far as I know they are quite happy eating what they can find in the way of insects etc. It's great you have one - ours haven't been around for some time, due possibly to the many foxes nowadays. Useful info can be found on the Hedgehog Society website. I don't think you need to worry about it, or remove it to a wood, as they can live quite happily in gardens. Maybe just check there is a way for it to climb out of the pond if it were to fall in - but I think they're quite canny, and ours never fell in!

J

[Fly]

Thanks all. Our pond has a way out. Would hate for it to die in our garden.have no idea how it got in. Lots of foxes in our street too.

[Applespider]

Do nothing unless it looks particularly young. Sometimes hedgehogs have two litters in a year; the second litter often doesn't have time to build up energy reserves to take it through winter. So if it looks particularly small with pale and softish prickles, keep calling RSPCA to check best course of action.

[computedshorty]

We have Hedge Hogs come into the garden but unfortunately the try to drink from the pond and fall in but as the water level has dropped and the sides too high to get out, they drown, at least seven have done this.

They Hibernate in the roots of our Pampas Grass, they wiill be eating their last meals about now and finding some where to sleep.

Each day they leave droppings where they squeeze under our gate, when there are no more dropping I know they have found somewhere to hide.

[maxxi]

Don't be tempted to leave out dog/cat food - that's a sure-fire way of arousing your local fox's interest in your garden.

[Mrs TP]

I've not seen hedgehogs in this part of town. Whereabouts are you guys? (jealous!)

[japseylarue]

Computedshorty - Could you not put a log or plank into your pond so they have something to help them climb out?

[computedshorty]

I put a plank but it floated and they might get caught underneath so I built a brick ramp to the top.

I have two trays of water for them to drink that stops them going over to the pond there are very big frogs in there, you can hear them at night.

The Woodpecker is back picks up the Kent Cob nuts, puts them in the crook of the tree and pecks a hole in the shell to eat the nut. There is always plenty of bits left at night once the Chickens have gone to bed and the wild birds left, we feed them on Pea nuts, Meal worms Sunflower Hearts, Niger seed, Corn, and Wild bird mix.

The Sea Gulls take the food waste from our kitchen.

We get it in 20 Kg sacks delivered.

Picture of Pampas Grass att.

[stacey-lyn]

computedshorty Wrote:

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> They Hibernate in the roots of our Pampas Grass,

>

Pampas Grass, eh. Hmmmmm.

[civilservant]

Fly, this is excellent news. I was told that there are almost no hedgehogs left in SE London, and they are a threatened species everywhere in the UK.

You should get in touch with the BHPS http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/carers.htm

(They also say on their website: IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE IF YOU ARE EMAILING ABOUT A HEDGEHOG THAT MAY BE INJURED, ILL OR ORPHANED PLEASE CALL US ON 01584 890 801 INSTEAD AS EMAILS MAY NOT BE SEEN IN TIME).

There is a bloke called Hugh Warwick who works with them who is really keen to find out about local hedgehog habitats - his blog http://www.urchin.info/ .

[Fly]

Great. Thanks for all your replies. It seems reasonable in size. We've just had the garden done. It was very overgrown b4 so may have been here all along. We're Sydenham hill. It's a small front garden which we tried to make a wildlife garden with the pond but worry as my husband used to have a pond when he was a child and said he had lots drown in it which is why I was worried. We often feed the stray peacock cat food but the foxes don't come into the garden.

[The Minkey]

Can you create some kind of ramp for the hog to get out should it fall in the pond. They can swim, but they would eventually drown if they can't get out? Unless you've sealed the boundaries of your garden when you got the garden done, it's probably getting in and out OK - they are quite good climbers. It should be going into hibernation around about now.

This site has a little more information: http://www.overthegardengate.net/wildlife/hedgehog.asp

[civilservant]

We are so envious that you have a hedgehog in your garden! Do please look after it!

They are an endangered animal in this country, because they are such inoffensive and undemanding little creatures which suffer as a result of human impact on their habitat.

[Fly]

It's still here.

[katie1997]

oooh its brilliant news about hedgehogs in SE London.

I only recently discovered why hedgehogs were so named, because if you stand outside at night and listen to them snuffling around, they make the same sound as pigs(hogs) do. Glorious to hear. Hope they thrive in your garden.

[benmorg]

katie1997 Wrote:

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> oooh its brilliant news about hedgehogs in SE

> London.

>

> I only recently discovered why hedgehogs were so

> named, because if you stand outside at night and

> listen to them snuffling around, they make the

> same sound as pigs(hogs) do. Glorious to hear.

> Hope they thrive in your garden.

They thrive in mine, or one does, and makes a very distinctive shuffling and crunching sound when it's eating snails.

[Domme_Jay]

Ohhh I want a hedgehog, Bricks in the bond to make a kinda step?

[bonniebird]

When we first moved to Forest Hill in 1997, we had hedgehogs around here, but the last one I saw was on Honor Oak Rd dead :( so glad you have one Fly :)

[signorcrayfish]

embrace the hedgehog! they'll keep your privet free of slugs and snails :)

[Fly]

Must agree. The slug problem as gone!

[Sue]

signorcrayfish Wrote:

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> embrace the hedgehog! they'll keep your privet

> free of slugs and snails :)

xxxxxx

If anyone has a hedgehog they don't want, please pass him/her to me .... I have no privet, but I have a lot of snails :)

[civilservant]

lovely to see so many hedgehog pals.

You might want to sign up here http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/pages/hedgehog-street.html

"Through Hedgehog Street, we are asking people to become Hedgehog Champions to rally support from their neighbours and work together to create ideal hedgehog habitat throughout their street, estate or communal grounds.

Please sign up to receive a pack which will help you get started. The pack contains hedgehog factsheets which can be handed out to neighbours, posters to help advertise the project, tips and hints on how to get neighbours involved and how to keep them interested and a pack of action cards which explain what people can do in their gardens.

Sometimes people want to help wildlife but they either aren?t sure how to go about it or they think that doing something in their small patch won?t make a difference. This is why we are providing everything you need to do the project and explaining what you can do to make your whole street good for hedgehogs."

[Sue]

I downloaded the pack - due to demand (good!) they are no longer sending out printed versions.

Because of the areas of colour, and photographs, some of the pack will be quite expensive to print out :(

Can hedgehogs climb over walls, does anybody know? Because otherwise, I don't know how they would get into my garden anyway .... foxes seem to manage, but I think they climb?