As we say at Higgledy, ‘you can’t beat a good hedgehog’…we love the spiky little critters and their snouty ways. We’ve got loads that snuffle around our flower gardens at night and long may it continue. However their numbers in the UK are declining.
Our little friends the hedgehog can travel vast distances in a night…well OK…not that vast but a few kilometers no problemo…which on little feet is quite a big feat…if you get my drift. This means that any hedgehogs you have in your garden may have started their evening elsewhere.
What features attract hedgehogs to a garden?
- Compost heaps. Hedgehogs like a bit of cover…who knows what is lurking in the night. They just love a good compost heap. Nice and warm and hopefully full of nice and tasty worms and slugs. Yum Yum.
- Log piles…another sure fire winner with our nocturnal nutters. They don’t have to be massive, just a few logs high with openings so they can get in and snuffle out the goodies inside.
- Undisturbed areas of your garden. General mess! Shrub cuttings, leaf piles all in a sheltered area.
What hazards to avoid…
- Slug Pellets. These are like death on a stick (without the stick) to a hedgehog. Don’t use them. Birds eat them too… bad bad bad!
- Escape routes from ponds. Our hoggy chums happily seem to dive into any water source without first checking to see if they can get out…or they just fall in. They may be cute…but clever they ain’t.
- Holes. Uncovered drains…not that you would leave drains uncovered anyway…but I needed three hazards so I’ve chucked it in. (The hole…not the hedgehog)
Can I put food out to attract hedgehogs to my garden?
Yes…but don’t! Many people put out cat food and dog food. The main reason why I don’t do this is I don’t want to make the rats any fatter. By providing the conditions outlined above you will provide the food they need naturaly.
Please accept my apologies for over cute and sickly photos…I couldn’t help it.
Do let us know about the wildlife in your garden…and happy hedgehogging.
Other posts you may be interested in…Attracting Butterflies & Feeding Birds.
Hedgehogs in the Garden - Good or Bad - MeanyGoatMeanyGoat
July 8, 2014 @ 5:18 pm
[…] people think that if they put out a saucer of milk then this will encourage more hedgehogs into their garden. In fact they are not able to digest cows […]
October 27, 2013 @ 5:03 pm
i live in a town is it still possible for hedgehogs to come to my garden? what can I do to get them to come ? :) !
June 5, 2013 @ 1:44 pm
I would love hedgehogs to visit my garden which has fruit bushes, veg, flowers and shrubs in it. I have a hedgehog house and have placed hedgehog food out but the pigeon ate it. I also have a ladybird tower, a bird house, a butterfly feeder and a insect house, all of which are being visited and used, but sadly, no hoggies…has anyone any suggestions as to what I can do to encourage them…Thanks xx
July 3, 2012 @ 12:55 pm
We’ve had hedgehogs in the garden for years and I’ve always supplemented our legion of slugs & snails with hedgehog food. The hogs have been easy to spot, wandering in at dusk and exploring the lawn for a couple of hours. We’ve also left a pile of branches in a quiet corner by the shed in hopes of getting a permanent neighbour. However, the food didn’t appear to be eaten this year so I suspect we haven’t had any – is there a foolproof way to tell?
July 4, 2012 @ 4:53 pm
yes…go out in to the garden late at night dressed as a hedgehog….making gentle hedgehoggy squeaks and hums…see if any come out to play with you. ;) x
May 7, 2012 @ 12:47 pm
We had a rather large hedgehog in the garden last night.
March 4, 2012 @ 8:03 pm
What do you mean, uncover drains, aren’t hedgehogs small enough to fall in them?????????? :|
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January 2, 2011 @ 10:09 am
[…] over to the Higgledy Garden Wildflower Campaign…or perhaps you would like to discover how to attract hedgehogs to your garden? …I’m so good to […]
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January 2, 2011 @ 10:06 am
[…] Why not read our bewilderingly brilliant piece on attracting bees to your garden? and How to attract Hedgehogs to your garden. […]