# Hedgehog spotted in my garden



## Marion (17 Jul 2013)

Sitting outside and guess who turns up on my patio just now.

The title will tell you but yes a beautiful little hedgehog. 

I have spent the last 2 days clearing my terribly neglected garden and I don't know if I disturbed the hedgehog or if it's  just a coincidence.

Anyway, I now know how Tony Soprano felt about his ducks.


How do I encourage him/her to stay?

Marion

Ps:I actually did have 4 ducks sitting on my front lawn a number of years ago (a visiting friend thought i had lost the plot and installed plastic ducks) when they were renovating a spot next door. They came into the estate and of course we all encouraged them to stay by feeding them . But it was a temporary thing. They left.


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## michaelm (18 Jul 2013)

Marion said:


> How do I encourage him/her to stay?


Dunno.  But seemingly leaving out bread and/or milk is a no-no.


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## Sue Ellen (18 Jul 2013)

Hi Marion,

One great organisation for advice is Kildare Animal Foundation (half-way down the page is a story about a hedgehog).  If Dan is there he is great.

We arrived home late one night and the dog was barking at something in the garden so we went to investigate.  We took the dog indoors and sure enough a hedgehog ran into the next door neighbour's garden to get away.  Pity because I would have liked to have a chat with him/her


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## Marion (18 Jul 2013)

I did a bit of googling on the topic and Michaelm what you say seems to be the general advice. They can get very sick from bread and milk. Thanks sue for the link - interesting stories of various animals.

I found out that they are loners and leave the nest after 6 weeks. It's best not to touch a baby hedgehog (urchins or hoglets) before it is returned to a nest because the mother will smell the human scent and will disown it. They can cover about 3 or 4 km in a night. In the wild the majority will die within 2 years.

Any hedgehog roaming during the day should be reported as it's likely they are ill or disorientated.

They apparently like tinned cat food, but there are plenty of slugs, centipedes, worms, beetles and snails in my garden so they should have plenty to eat if they decide to reside chez moi. We could happily share the same space. 

The irish name is Grainneog - the ugly one.

Marion


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## Sue Ellen (19 Jul 2013)

Marion said:


> if they decide to reside chez moi. We could happily share the same space.
> 
> Marion



Ah, now we're getting to the crux of the matter, could this be classed as sub-letting or borderline rent-a-room/space and therefore incur a revenue payment 

I've been led to believe in the past that they generally have plenty of lodgers themselves (fleas)


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## Marion (19 Jul 2013)

Ah now! The word has gone out about the great feeding of slugs and snails chez moi and they have invited a cousin to stay in the front garden. I spotted a much larger guy this morning heading under shrubs.

The flea thing: I don't really want to think about it but it appears from my limited reading on the matter that they are host specific and are not interested in humans - unlike cat or dog fleas.

Marion


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## Sue Ellen (21 Jul 2013)

Marion,  I think you should definitely give Kildare Animal Foundation a ring and get their general advice on them.


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## delgirl (22 Jul 2013)

Here's a great video from The Wildlife Garden Project regarding hedgehogs in the garden.

Looked it up when we were lucky enough to have a hedgehog in the garden a few months back, unfortunately he decided not to stay!


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## Marion (31 Jul 2013)

Good video delgirl. Thanks. 

I rang the foundation sue. They said to contact them if I found them distressed or if I didn't want them hanging around. 

They also mentioned cat food - chicken variety - to feed them if I wished. 

I haven't seen them since but quite a number of mauled snail shells  are currently scattered around my garden. Though, that could also be thrushes feasting on them. But I suspect it's my hedgehogs.


Marion


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## Sue Ellen (31 Jul 2013)

Marion said:


> They also mentioned cat food - chicken variety - to feed them if I wished.
> 
> Marion



Emmmmmmmm, well fed hedgehods with cat food no less


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## Leo (31 Jul 2013)

Marion said:


> But I suspect it's my hedgehogs.



Might be overkill, but you could [broken link removed] on them to confirm.


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## Marion (20 Jul 2014)

Arrived home this evening/morning after a concert to find the/My hedgehog curled up in my front garden. 

Hadn't seen him/her since this time last year. 

Delighted.

Marion


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## mathepac (21 Jul 2014)

Homing hedgehogs, now there's a thought.


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