Excess hedgehogs

[Darkside]

For some weeks I've had hedgehogs nesting in a pile of dead leaves
behind a shrub rose in my tiny back garden. I've never seen them here
before. Three of my four neighbours have recently rebuilt fences and I
think they've walled the hedgehogs in.
I have one of those compost bins where you take the compost out at the
bottom, and today I found it'd been hollowed out and a lot of green
leaves stuffed in (including all the leaves of my little polypody fern
that had been doing so well - I resent that!) When I pulled them out I
touched something sharp. So I looked behind the rose: there were
hedgehogs snoring in quick little breaths. I got a torch and looked
into the compost bin: another hedgehog. That one is a hedgehog too far.

I can't make a hole in a new fence (those neighbours have barren gardens
with no hidden bits so they'd notice) but I could "accidentally" put a
foot through the rotten sagging fence of the fourth neighbour. How
small a hole can hedgehogs get through?
Or should I just scoop the offender into a bucket and leave it on the
nearby public open space?

[Bob Hobden]

Post by Darkside
For some weeks I've had hedgehogs nesting in a pile of dead leaves
behind a shrub rose in my tiny back garden. I've never seen them here
before. Three of my four neighbours have recently rebuilt fences and I
think they've walled the hedgehogs in.
I have one of those compost bins where you take the compost out at the
bottom, and today I found it'd been hollowed out and a lot of green
leaves stuffed in (including all the leaves of my little polypody fern
that had been doing so well - I resent that!) When I pulled them out I
touched something sharp. So I looked behind the rose: there were
hedgehogs snoring in quick little breaths. I got a torch and looked
into the compost bin: another hedgehog. That one is a hedgehog too far.
I can't make a hole in a new fence (those neighbours have barren gardens
with no hidden bits so they'd notice) but I could "accidentally" put a
foot through the rotten sagging fence of the fourth neighbour. How
small a hole can hedgehogs get through?
Or should I just scoop the offender into a bucket and leave it on the
nearby public open space?

Strangely enough this morning I looked out at the garden and to my surprise
saw a decent sized Hedgehog searching around our grass presumably looking
for food in broad daylight. I haven't seen a hog in this area for maybe 10
to 15 years. Seeing as this is a rain dry spot the ground is hard and dry so
I would expect there to be not much for the hog to eat. I got a bowl of
chicken cat food and placed it nearby, looked like the hog ate half of it
and then retreated to the the area behind our camellia tree which has a
large rainwater tank slightly raised from the ground. I have had the seep
hose on all day so the ground should be damp this evening so it may be able
to find food although the rest of the cat food if still there, fly eggs and
all. We only have a very small garden a third of which is under water (pond)
so I can't believe it can survive here as the neighbours fences are solid as
in your case. It will have to go out the way it came which must be through a
cat sized hole in my side fence allowing it into our front garden and then
neighbours gardens via the road.

[Bob Hobden]

Post by Bob Hobden

Post by Darkside
For some weeks I've had hedgehogs nesting in a pile of dead leaves
behind a shrub rose in my tiny back garden. I've never seen them here
before. Three of my four neighbours have recently rebuilt fences and I
think they've walled the hedgehogs in.
I have one of those compost bins where you take the compost out at the
bottom, and today I found it'd been hollowed out and a lot of green
leaves stuffed in (including all the leaves of my little polypody fern
that had been doing so well - I resent that!) When I pulled them out I
touched something sharp. So I looked behind the rose: there were
hedgehogs snoring in quick little breaths. I got a torch and looked
into the compost bin: another hedgehog. That one is a hedgehog too far.
I can't make a hole in a new fence (those neighbours have barren gardens
with no hidden bits so they'd notice) but I could "accidentally" put a
foot through the rotten sagging fence of the fourth neighbour. How
small a hole can hedgehogs get through?
Or should I just scoop the offender into a bucket and leave it on the
nearby public open space?

Strangely enough this morning I looked out at the garden and to my surprise
saw a decent sized Hedgehog searching around our grass presumably looking
for food in broad daylight. I haven't seen a hog in this area for maybe 10
to 15 years. Seeing as this is a rain dry spot the ground is hard and dry
so I would expect there to be not much for the hog to eat. I got a bowl of
chicken cat food and placed it nearby, looked like the hog ate half of it
and then retreated to the the area behind our camellia tree which has a
large rainwater tank slightly raised from the ground. I have had the seep
hose on all day so the ground should be damp this evening so it may be able
to find food although the rest of the cat food if still there, fly eggs and
all. We only have a very small garden a third of which is under water
(pond) so I can't believe it can survive here as the neighbours fences are
solid as in your case. It will have to go out the way it came which must be
through a cat sized hole in my side fence allowing it into our front garden
and then neighbours gardens via the road.

Today our Hedgehog was out and about in daylight again so I phoned the
"local" rescue centre and they told me to get it to them ASAP which we did.
They told us it is a he and he is of good weight but because he was out and
about in daylight and should not ever be they suspect he has internal
parasites so will check his poo and deal with what they find and let us have
him back when he is OK.

I didn't realise until today that any Hedgehog about in daylight should be
taken to a rescue centre, without exception.

[Mike Coon]

Post by Bob Hobden
I didn't realise until today that any Hedgehog about in daylight should
be taken to a rescue centre, without exception.

I expect they can cure jet-lag, too! ;-)

Mike.

[Darkside]

Post by Bob Hobden
Today our Hedgehog was out and about in daylight again so I phoned the
"local" rescue centre and they told me to get it to them ASAP which we did.
They told us it is a he and he is of good weight but because he was out and
about in daylight and should not ever be they suspect he has internal
parasites so will check his poo and deal with what they find and let us have
him back when he is OK.
I didn't realise until today that any Hedgehog about in daylight should be
taken to a rescue centre, without exception.

Mine moved out overnight, so they must be able to get in and out. Now I
can prune the wistaria and get it out from under the garage roof - this
means putting a ladder where the hedgehogs' nest was.

[Christina Websell]

"Bob Hobden" <***@invalid.com> wrote in message news:***@mid.individual.net...
.

Post by Bob Hobden
Today our Hedgehog was out and about in daylight again so I phoned the
"local" rescue centre and they told me to get it to them ASAP which we
did. They told us it is a he and he is of good weight but because he was
out and about in daylight and should not ever be they suspect he has
internal parasites so will check his poo and deal with what they find and
let us have him back when he is OK.
I didn't realise until today that any Hedgehog about in daylight should be
taken to a rescue centre, without exception.

Yes, apparently so. I found this out a couple of years ago when I had one
out and about during the day and phoned up the local hedgehog rescue person
who told me to get it to her asap. I asked for it back if it recovered but
never got it so I guess it didn't make it.
Hedgehogs are few and far between where I live now. There isn't much
traffic but one or two neighbours say they have seen badgers in their
gardens so whether this is the reason I don't know. I haven't seen a
badger in my garden, but I've recently got a mole for the first time in 30
years here.
I'm leaving it alone for the moment in the hope it will disappear back into
the fields behind my house.