Harry hedgehog.

[4390evans]

Hey guys,

So Im looking for some advice on a hedgehog or 2.

We are building a big raised bed at the bottom of the garden (finally decided what we wanted there) and what we thought about doing is building it up to waist height then putting chicken wire round the top with a opening where we could take veg as and when needed. We are thinking of putting a hedgehog or 2 in there to eat the snails and slugs who dare to enter as we have had a bad year so far with them.

I'm looking around to adopt one but do you guys think its cruel to have one caged up?
It will have a little house and fed when natural food is unavailable and will be out all year round.

What do you think?

[Nicos]

Although it's a nice idea , you need to be aware that slugs and snails are actually a meal of last choice for them as they contain a parasite ( lung worm) which will eventually kill the hedgehogs

The vast majority of rescue hedgehogs I saw had severe lung problems because of them . Very sad.

They also roam about 3km a night looking for food, and your garden- unless enormous probably isn't big enough to sustain a varied diet...except of course if you are happy to feed them every day without fail ( uneaten food can encourage rats) and clean them out almost daily cos they can poo for England-and it stinks!!

It might be worth contacting your local hedgehog rescue and ask for advice and to see if you could go on their waiting list ??
They may have a 3 legged one which needs a controlled environment with any luck!

I don't want to put you off, but you really do need to be aware of what you are considering doing before taking it on.

The alternative is to look at the Mrs Tiggywinkle site- and any other hedgehog sites you can find - and provide the best B&B in your neighbourhood and hope the wild ones will come and stay with you rather than someone else's garden !

[Scarlet]

As Nicos has advised really. To keep a wild animal caged just to keep your slugs and snails down is cruel. They naturally travel through many gardens during an evening so one plot wouldn't be large enough and during the mating season the distances they travel will be much more.

[Bigmallly]

If the bed is gonna be at waist height, it'll be a pretty determined slug/snail to venture into the bed.

[veggiechicken]

Do you have a pond to attract frogs and toads to eat your slugs?

[Knight of Albion]

Hedgehogs are just one of many species that are under pressure due to the motor car, house building and the altering environment so anything we can do to help them is a good thing. Though that being said, any help needs to be on their terms...
There are a number of websites that give excellent information on encouraging hedgehogs into your garden and helping them survive and thrive once there.
How to make your garden a hedgehog haven | Life and style | theguardian.com

[4390evans]

I'm not wanting to be cruel to any of them and I thought that slugs and snails was what they ate.
I haven't a pond although I would like one but with having inquisitive kids and a clumsy dog it would be disturbed all the time, nothing would settle.
I thought if I took in one that would be no longer fit to go out into the wild I would be doing some good but maybe not :/ Ill have to look into alternative slug deterrents.

Thanks guys