Making your garden hog friendly
If you are near us and want to offer a new home to a hedgehog then please contact us, even if we are not near you there are sure to be carers who are also looking for good release sites. So why not make your garden hog friendly and contact either us or your local carer. They (like us) may want to check the garden out prior to release, so start today and be ready for the big day!
When using a garden as a release site we ask that it is:
- Away from a very busy road
- Away from a badger set
- Free from slug pellets for a minimum of a year, and if you can, get your neighbours to do the same
- If it has a pond that an escape ramp is built
- That it is not too tidy, hedgehogs like to forage under bushes etc. and in long grass
Slug pellets and chemicals
If your garden is full of slugs and other unwanted garden guests then the hedgehogs is the ultimate in eco friendly pest control. They eat a wide range of items including caterpillars, slugs, snails and beetles. So don't waste money on slug pellets make your garden hog friendly and let them do the work! If in the meantime you feel the need to rid your garden of these creatures then hollow out half an orange and place on the ground. In the morning collect all snails and slugs that have collected under there during the night and then take to your local park and find them a new home out of harms way. Alternatively try out this site www.greengardener.co.uk who have a whole array of items that will help you in your battle.
Ponds
Cover any pond with chicken wire or ensure that it has very shallow sides so any animal that falls into it can easily climb out.
Other ways to help
Pile up logs in a corner and leave well alone.
If your garden is big enough allow some of it to become wild, this will not only benefit hedgehogs but also other forms of wildlife.
Keep netting off of the ground. If the kids have a football net, remember to lift each night so that prickles don't get caught up.
Providing shelter of some description, perhaps investing in a hog house or making one and placing under a shrub or bush will increase the likelihood of a hog making your garden its home.
