Hedgehogs

Discussion in 'Wildlife in the Garden' started by DianneWoollie, Apr 5, 2021.

  1. Logan

    Logan Strong Ash

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    That's ok then.
     
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  2. Doghouse Riley

    Doghouse Riley Young Pine

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    Disappointing results with the camera last night.

    All it picked up was "Cyril the squirrel" early this morning.

    [​IMG]



    and this pesky cat.

    [​IMG]
     
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  3. Logan

    Logan Strong Ash

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    That's a shame hope that you get arry tonight.
     
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  4. Doghouse Riley

    Doghouse Riley Young Pine

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    He may not be walking across the small patio (if he goes under the tea-house). His best access would be on the left-hand side. There's a four inch gap between the bottom of the "skirt" and the path. Wide enough for him to get under, but not enough for a fox. He may approach it from the border on the left-hand side of the garden. But as he does quite a bit of wandering at night, so the camera might catch him.

    I think the cat food is a bit too wet for him, so I'm mixing in a lot of dried mealworms to thicken it up. In the meantime I've ordered some "hedgehog pellets."
     
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2021
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  5. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Are you also putting out water for him. Hedgehogs drink more water than many of us realise.
     
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  6. Doghouse Riley

    Doghouse Riley Young Pine

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    Thanks for asking.

    Yes, there's a flowerpot saucer the same size as the one for his food next to it.
    On one evening he was actually standing in his water bowl for some time while he was eating his dinner.
     
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  7. Doghouse Riley

    Doghouse Riley Young Pine

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    'arry's 'ouse has arrived!

    For twenty-seven quid including postage, I can't complain.
    This is how it came.

    [​IMG]


    There are a few screws in it as well as lots of nail gun staples. But I added a few more screws to make sure it's durable.



    The floor is very thin plywood. So I added a baton under the front edge as there was no support below the entrance.
    I also reversed the lid as it opened the wrong way for where it was going.

    I put in some hay and placed it on the paving slab under the azaleas.

    [​IMG]


    I may slide a bit of polystyrene under it to give it a bit more insulation. I'll "rough up" the area around it so it looks less like a "new build" and retrain the azaleas to give it more cover.

    [​IMG]



    There was nothing on the camera last night apart from the same cat and the squirrel. The 6v adapter arrived and that's now connected. I've altered the camera so that it only records between 8.00pm and 8.00am.
    But it might be that 'arry doesn't generate enough heat to activate the camera, or he's avoiding it by going round to the tea-house another way, or not going under it at all and sleeping somewhere else.

    It's easy enough to remove the sim card and bring it in and stick it in my lap top, to download the photos, rather than connect the laptop to the camera. You'd only do that "in the field."
     
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  8. Logan

    Logan Strong Ash

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    That's great about arry's ouse and that's a shame about not seeing him last night.

    Can you see any poo droppings anywhere?
     
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  9. Logan

    Logan Strong Ash

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    This morning took barley out for a wee around the front then at the back of our house and we saw one just making it's way into our garden. By the time we got back, which isn't long the hedgehog had been to our feeding station, knocked the bowl on its side and all the food had gone, it disappeared before we got back.
     
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  10. Doghouse Riley

    Doghouse Riley Young Pine

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    Only around his feeding station, they seem to have firmed up since I've crushed a lot of mealworms into his cat food. He cleared his bowl last night.
    I've not had a lot of time today, as it was a golf day, I didn't get into the garden until gone 3.00pm to start on his 'ouse.

    I'll have a look round the garden tomorrow. I did notice there is a small gap of around six inches below the left-hand corner of the shed, so he might have gone under there, there's about 9" of clearance under the shed. If he goes in there, the camera won't pick him up.
     
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  11. Logan

    Logan Strong Ash

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    I don't think they're supposed to have a lot of mealworms, just for a treat it's best to have the cat food but not fish. I give them a dried puppy food because it's smaller. Or the hedgehog food that you can buy like you said that you did.
     
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  12. Doghouse Riley

    Doghouse Riley Young Pine

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    Well, he obviously likes the mealworms as he cleared his bowl and that's probably what he's going into the ground bird feeder to find, rather than the ordinary bird food.
     
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  13. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    A wild hedgehog will consume worms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, earwigs and millipedes. They also eat a wide range of other insects. Less frequently they will take advantage of any carrion, frogs, baby rodents, baby birds, birds' eggs and even fallen fruit.
    You can feed them on fresh canned, or freeze-dried mealworms, waxworms,and crickets but only as limited treats. Once or twice a week is fine. Good quality proprietary hedgehog biscuits, dog biscuits and cat biscuits are best in that order. Cooked meaty dog and cat food are also good but, as Logan said, not any that contain fish.
     
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  14. Logan

    Logan Strong Ash

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    Yes they like mealworms but they're not supposed to have them too much.
    I agree with @eileen
     
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  15. Logan

    Logan Strong Ash

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    Last night our hedgehogs had been and made a mess with the feeding station
    20210501_124609.jpg
    I swept up all of the food and put it in the bin.
    20210501_124844.jpg
     

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