Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue encouraging through knowledge a natural balance

hogs in the garden

Hedgehogs are considered the gardener’s friend as they can help keep some of the garden pests under control. However whilst they can give us the pleasure of seeing them as they wander across our gardens late at night we can cause them a lot of problems with our gardening activities. The following advice should help to reduce some of the problems that they might encounter in our gardens.

 

Bonfires - use a proper incinerator or move the pile to be burnt just before setting fire to it. This should ensure that no hedgehog has made a home in the rubbish. Do not burn or trim Pampas Grass until you are sure there are no hedgehogs nesting in it. read more

 

 

Netting - keep all pea-netting a foot above the ground so the hedgehogs can go under it and will not try to go through it and become stuck. The same applies to tennis nets, children's football nets etc. Barbed wire should also be kept off the ground and never left trailing or carelessly discarded. The eagle eyed amonst you will have noticed this is not a hedgehog but is in fact a grass snake, same principle, we just didn't have a photo of a hog in netting.

 

 

Ponds - Hedgehogs swim well but cannot tread water for hours on end please provide escape routes e.g. plastic coated wire over the side and into the water to make a ladder, or when making a pond have a gentle slope to at least one of the sides, this will help other wildlife too. Keep ponds topped up, especially in hot weather so hedgehogs are less likely to topple in. Children's paddling pools and sandpits are also a danger when filled with rainwater. Keep pots etc that might fill with water upside down. Provide a shallow dish of water for all visiting wildlife.

 

Drains - Please keep drain holes covered up this stops both leaves and hedgehogs blocking the drain. Check uncovered drains, bean trenches, holes for footings etc and inspect garage pits daily to make sure no hedgehogs are trapped. Provide escape routes if possible, e.g. rigid plastic netting or a plank.

 

Fences - Repair wooden fences that blow down in the wind as soon as possible or hedgehogs may be tempted to make their nests underneath them. Leave a hole in fences or newly constructed walls so the hedgehogs can come and go. Use environmentally safe wood preservatives on sheds, fences, etc as hedgehogs often lick new smells or substances – your garden centre should be able to advise. Very occasionally hedgehogs are found with a leg trapped in between the gaps in log rolls (used for edging) so check these and other hazards regularly.

 

Wild Patches - Please take care when mowing long grass - STRIMMERS MUTILATE - and tidying wild patches, as they are an ideal place for a hedgehog's nest. When cutting long overgrown areas cut initially to about a foot long and then check for hedgehogs and other wildlife before cutting any lower. Providing a suitable nesting or hibernating box can help prevent accidental disturbance. Bin bags left at ground level will also attract hedgehogs and they may try to nest in them and get put out for the dustbin men.

 

 

Compost - another ideal place for a hedgehog to make a nest and rear its young. Take care when turning the heap; one thrust of a fork can easily kill more than one baby hedgehog. The safest time to spread the heap is probably Oct/Nov when most babies have left their mum and adults have not yet started to hibernate. Partly used bags of compost may also have nesting hedgehogs in them.

 

 

Slug Pellets - try alternatives, REMEMBER METALDEHYDE SLUG PELLETS WILL KILL, if you must use them use sparingly and pick up the dead slugs and snails as soon as possible. Read the directions before you use the product. Sheds - do not suddenly decide to keep doors closed which have previously been left open for some weeks without first checking that there is no nesting hedgehog inside. Keep chemicals, oils, etc in both sheds and garages out of the reach of hedgehogs. We receive a lot of calls in June from people dismantling sheds that find a mother with babies under it – so do take care or dismantle in October when the hoglets have left the nest and hibernation may not have started. read more

 

Dogs – Dogs can share the garden with the hedgehogs. If you have a dog that you know attacks hedgehogs try to warn the hedgehog when the dog is being let out e.g. turn on an outside light a minute or so before letting the dog out. Also for the dogs final patrol of the evening you might consider putting him on his lead. These precautions are only necessary at night. You may notice that hedgehogs have their own routine i.e. they appear at a certain time from a certain point and often at a certain time. If this is observed keep the dog in during those times.

Not all the above suggestions will be practical for one reason or another but be aware of the dangers of some of your gardening activities and try to minimise these dangers.

The above are ways to help visiting hedgehogs but if you want to actively encourage them into your garden you can provide food in suitable feeding stations and nesting sites (e.g. a pile of leaves in a quiet corner of the garden). Recent surveys suggest that hedgehog numbers are in decline. 30 million to 1 million in forty years. So anything you can do to help them will be appreciated. They are particularly vulnerable in the autumn when they are fattening up for hibernation and extra food then can be a lifesaver.

 

Feeding - to encourage a hedgehog to stay in or near your garden ensure it has a fresh supply of water available - especially in very hot weather - and leave a dish of dog or cat food in a place where the hedgehog can get it, but not the local cats (e.g. under something low).

It is not advisable to take a hedgehog from the wild and put it into your garden nor to take one from your garden and home it elsewhere. If this is done and there are young they may die once their parent is removed.

 

Finally if you do accidentally disturb a nest with an adult hedgehog in it, replace the nesting material. The hedgehog can then either repair the nest or build another elsewhere. If the disturbed hedgehog is hibernating and wakes up, a dish of dog or cat food and some water each night until it starts hibernating again would be helpful.

If there are babies in the nest, again replace the nesting material, handling the nest as little as possible so as not to leave your smell on it. Keep an eye on the nest to see if mum returns. If there is no sign of her by the next morning telephone the BHPS for advice or your nearest wildlife rescue. Do not allow friends, children etc to uncover the nest for a peep. If the mother has returned, she may abandon or even eat her young if she is disturbed again. read more

 

 

Below is a list of other items we desperately need.

 

Hospitalization Cages

We are in need of specialist hospitalization cages .

 

The cost of these cages range from £386 to £4900 for the units we require. We are currently raising money for these to help our orphans and patients. We have found these cages to be invaluable as they offer the ultimate level in safety and hygiene, which enables us to give our patients the expert care and attention to enable them to recover. These are designed specifically for our needs.

 

If your local Veterinary Practice or reserch laboratories are refurbishing, please let us know as they may be removing and replacing cages that we can use.

 

Cat and Dog Food

We need cat and dog food, it can be dry or wet, any type is just fine.

 

If you have a fussy cat or dog and you keep trying new food and they don't like it, please send the rest of the food to us as our cute patients are not so fussy.

 

One sachet of cat food will feed a baby hedgehog for a day so every little really does help. No donation is too small.

 

Medical Equipment

We are always in need of medical equipment to treat our wildlife and would be grateful for any pre loved items from veterinary surgeries and animals hospitals.

 

We are happy to get expensive machines repaired so if you know of any vets being refurbished ask them if we can have any of their old equipment. This equipment is very expensive but really does improve our level of care.

 

Old Towels

 

We use thousands of old towels each year. If you are having a clear out in your airing cupboard or a colour change in your bathroom, WC or if you are downsizing, clearing out for a relative or if you just hate your towels please let us have them. Many of our angels are injured, hay and straw can get into wounds and irratate them, so towels are just perfect.

Equipment

Crush cage £52.29 Net £29.00 Rabies gloves £68.00 Specialist remote trap £459.00 Standard trap £120.00

Net loop £94.00 Avian net £37.98 Stick holster £83.78 Ultra bite gloves £60.00 Heavy duty gauntlets £170.00

Old Mobile Phones

Do you or your friends keep up to date with the latest mobile phone trends because if you do please send us your old mobile phone so we can change them for cash and then change that into food. You old mobile could help some of our precious orphans who themsleves had just had a close call! Send to Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue, Marlborough House, Augustus Gardens, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 1HL

 

Used Stamps

 

Please send us your old used stamps we can change them into cash. These old and used stamps bring vital funds to our rescue, so if you get good news through the post think of us and save that stamp. You can send or deliver these to us in any amounts. No amount is too small and each stamp is gratefully received. Send to Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue, Marlborough House, Augustus Gardens, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 1HL

 

This page has been proof read by Sandra