Yay! Hedgepigs!

[Buleste]

Last night for the second time this week I saw a lovely Hedgehog sniffing round our garden. It's so nice to see especially as there seems to have been an absence of about 15 years.

[rustylady]

I love hodgepigs Used to have one in my garden, but haven't seen any for a couple of years now I remember one night a few summers ago I came home from working late shift, opened the back door and saw what I thought was one of the guineapigs sitting under the apple tree. Went to pick it up to put it back in the run and realised when I nearly had my hands on it that it was actually a hedgehog (It was dark, my eyesight isn't really THAT bad)

[Florence Fennel]

My garden is full of lawns, veg beds and patches and I even have a wildlife area, but I've only seen a hedgehog in it once in 34 years. Next door have a small mainly paved garden, an ornamental bit with gravel and a tiny lawn. They see them every year. Bu@@er springs to mind.

[taff]

maybe they're only seeing them as they leave your garden?

[Florence Fennel]

I'll hold that thought Taff, thank you sweetie

[Bren In Pots]

We had one in the other week only, it's the second one I've seen in 27years of living here think that might be due to us being surrounded by 4 to 5 ft brick walls.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I love em n all. Had a wee family of them for an evening last year but none since.

[Alex_Parrott]

I think it depends on where you live as well though. i.e. you could dedicate your whole garden to wildlife but if you live in the middle of a city i imagine your chances would be reduced. We are lucky as our garden backs onto a school field and nature pond so we get all sorts.

[Florence Fennel]

You're probably right Alex, I'm in a very built up area inner city, so we don't get many wildlife visitors. I was lucky enough to be watching bats last night though. Cool.

[Buleste]

I'm lucky enough to live in a semi rural area (if you'd have asked me ten, fifteen years ago I would have said rural but people who used to have big gardens have sold them all off to developers who built tiny houses that you need to open windows before you fart so that there would be enough room for the gas) so we do get a fair bit of wildlife but hedgehogs have been absent for a good few years.

Last night I did an experiment and I had some freeze dried insects for the birds that I soaked in water and put in a dish (can't put the usual dog food out because of cats and also a few years ago I saw a ferret like creature which could've been a stoat or a mink (they got loose a few years ago and now there are no water voles in the area)) and the hedgehog came at around midnight and wolfed them all off so I'll keep on doing that and feed him/her up for the winter.

[Buleste]

Last night I was even luckier.

I was out walking the cats when I saw a Owl perched on a telegraph pole. Now I knew we had Owls in the area as I've heard them but I've never actually seen one before in the wild.

[Corris]

are hedgehogs good for gardens?

[Buleste]

Hedgehogs eat basically anything that comes out at night. Moths, beetles, worms and slugs. Anything that will eat slugs in my book is very good for gardens.

[Corris]

excellent - we moved last week and had one behind the shed when we got that far, haven't managed 'into the garden' yet because too many weeds but I'll have to hang onto the one we have whilst clearing the ground I hope.

I wonder what they like?

[Buleste]

You can feed them dog or cat food but their natural food is insects, worms and slugs (they prefer worms). Do not feed them bread and milk as it actually makes them ill. Also don't give them too much as then they won't eat any of the slugs.
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