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Monday 2 November 2015

Spare a thought for Prickles Your Garden Hedgehog !

Yes, it's that time of year ... so many falling Autumn Leaves ... gardeners almost fighting a losing battle, because as soon as some leaves have been raked into a nice neat pile - then some more have come down or blown your way! That being said, it's also a time of year that gives us all so many lovely colours to look at.

Recently while sitting enjoying an afternoon cup of tea and a small slice of low carb cake, I also did a little search on the 'interweb' for details about hedgehogs! I'd been talking to a neighbour who always puts food and a bowl of water out for the hedgehogs who visit her garden. What a nice idea I thought ... then I remembered that as a child I used to do that ... funny how something can just trigger a memory. 

Well, so many of us do leave the garden birds some food, so why not the hedgehogs too! The details below were found on these sites the RSPCA  and PRICKLES Hedgehog Rescue ...

At this time of year if you are about to do some gardening or go out in the garden do please spare a thought for 'Prickles Your Garden Hedgehog' ...

Did you know?
Hedgehogs are so named because of their pig-like snout and their habit of noisily rooting through the undergrowth for food. The ‘hedge’ part is more obvious, the hedgehog inhabits hedgerows. The name hedgehog was first used in the 15th century.

As many as 10 different hedgehogs may visit a garden over several nights, which could mean ‘your hedgehog’ is a number of different individuals visiting at different times.

Hedgehogs in the garden:


Hedgehogs are a gardener’s friend, as they eat snails, slugs and insects.

Make a hedgehog a home:
Leave areas of the garden ‘wild’, with piles of leaf litter and logs. These are an attractive nest as well as a home for the invertebrates (slugs, beetles) that hedgehogs like to eat.

Making an artificial home can be as simple as placing a piece of board against a wall. Or buy a purpose built hedgehog house.

Feeding:
Food and fresh water will encourage hedgehogs to return. Leave out foods like minced meat, tinned dog or cat food (not fish-based), crushed cat biscuits, or chopped boiled eggs. Specialist hedgehog food can also be bought from wild bird food suppliers.
Never feed hedgehogs milk as it can cause diarrhoea; instead provide plain, fresh water in a shallow bowl.

Hedgehog-friendly gardening:
Cover drains and holes and place bricks at the side of ponds to give hedgehogs an easy route out. Cover swimming pools overnight and when not in use.

Check for hedgehogs before using strimmers or mowers, particularly under hedges where animals may rest. Check compost heaps for nesting hogs before forking over.


Build bonfires as close to time of lighting as possible and check them thoroughly before lighting.

Remove sports or fruit netting when not in use to prevent hedgehogs becoming entangled, and getting injured.

Slug pellets:
These can poison hedgehogs and should only be used as a last resort. Try using beer traps or sprinkling ground up shells around the plants you need to protect. If you have to use pellets, place them under a slate which is inaccessible to hedgehogs.


Hedgehog hibernation:
Hedgehogs usually hibernate between November and mid March and animals must have enough fat reserves to survive hibernation. Making hedgehog homes in the garden and providing food will help hedgehogs.

Juvenile hedgehogs weighing less than 500 grams during late autumn will need help to survive the winter. Find out more here

You can also find out what to do with an injured or sick hedgehog and ones that may be orphaned here

Thanks for reading - hope you've found this interesting.

The low carb cake I had a slice of was this one.

Low Carb Lemon Sponge Cake

can be enjoyed anytime of year, recipe idea here

Enjoy your day and if you should be in the garden - happy gardening.
When you've finished ...
I'll put the kettle on for you - and cut you a slice of low carb cake.

melon2800-1600x1059

Hey ... where did this hedgehog come from?
If you are looking for a fun idea - Klara aged four can recommend this,
... and so can our grand-daughter, looking pretty in pink



All the best Jan

16 comments:

Jo said...

Hedgehog numbers are on the decrease but we still see quite a few around here, especially when we're giving Archie his last walk on a night. The lemon cake looks delicious and the hedgehog is fun. Your grandaughter certainly is pretty in pink, such a cutie.

Martha said...

Oh, what a great post. I think many people don't realize how beneficial some animals are to their gardens.

Carla from The River said...

Sweet little Hedgehog. I see the above comment mentioned their numbers are low. Are they considered a pest by some?

I love the looks of the hedgehog to eat LOL :-))

Lisa said...

We've been very lucky to have hedgehogs come and visit our garden and make it their home a few times over the years. The first time I saw one I was amazed at how long their legs are.
Lisa x

Lowcarb team member said...

Jo
Yes, an article I read some time ago now stated that it's believed the hedgehog population has been reduced by a quarter in the last ten years as they suffer from a loss of natural habitat, pesticides, and a healthier badger population.
People are being encouraged to make their gardens more appealing to hedgehogs by leaving rough patches of land and planting hedges, which are some of the points made in my post.
I've always liked the hedgehog.

Glad you liked the look of the cakes ... and yes grand-daughter is a cutie, thank you.

Have a good week - if you can see through the fog we are experiencing at the moment!

All the best Jan

Lowcarb team member said...

Martha
Thanks for your comment - yes hedgehogs are so often a gardeners friend, well I certainly think so, and we can do so much to help them and us live together quite happily!

All the best Jan

Lowcarb team member said...

Carla
... some may see hedgehogs as a pest, but they can be a gardeners friend and it can be quite easy to improve or slightly change things so we can all co-exist.

Yes, that hedgehog cake is quite a work of art isn't it.

Thanks for your comment

All the best Jan

Lowcarb team member said...

Lisa
You are so fortunate to have hedgehogs visit. Do you know I've never thought about their long legs ...
They have such cute faces don't they.

Happy November Wishes

All the best Jan

Launna said...

I have always wanted to have a garden but never lived where I could create one... I thought I might do this in years to come but I have now decided I will be traveling as much as I possibly can which means I won't have a true home for myself... If I ever did though I would keep in mind about the hedgehogs... :) Have a great week xox

chris c said...

The field at the end of the garden generally rotates between wheat and rape. Whenever it is rape the contractors spread slug pellets and I find a dead hedgehog in the garden :( So much for Healthy Vegetable Oil.

Lowcarb team member said...

Launna
Yes, not all have gardens - and many do not want gardens!
Perhaps we are fortunate to be able to enjoy natures colours, beauty and 'bounty' in our own neighbourhood. Even when out walking if we keep our eyes peeled, as the saying goes, we may just spot something; a butterfly, a hedgehog, a robin or other bird. There is much to be thankful for ...

Many thanks for your comment.

All the best Jan

Lowcarb team member said...

Chris
Thanks for your comment.
Always sad to see a dead hedgehog, or indeed any animal or bird.
At times we all need to take responsibility for our thoughts and actions - some do this much better than others :(

Hope your November has started well ...

All the best Jan

The Happy Whisk said...

Cool beans. I've never seen a hedge hog in real life.

Lowcarb team member said...

Ivy
They are great little creatures ... and you are not alone in never seeing one in real life.
Love your new avatar ... wonder what is in the mug?

Happy November

All the best Jan

chris c said...

It's not so bad when things die to feed other things. I don't mind losing young blackbirds to the sparrowhawks as we never had the hawks when I was young, and if most of the blackbirds survived we'd be knee deep in them. Wanton destruction is a bit different though.

Hedgehogs can run surprisingly fast on occasion, we see them someimes skittering down the street. They also make the most disturbing snuffling and grunting noises when having sex - which they do carefully.

Lowcarb team member said...

Chris
I've never seen a hedgehog run ... maybe I will someday.
Yes, the snuffling and grunting noises can often be heard in a garden, but I didn't realise until I read and shared this article*, quite what those sounds meant.
You live and learn - every day.
I think hedgehogs are lovely creatures and we should do our best to provide them with the habitat they need and not destroy it! But I guess that goes with any animal - lets do our best to work with nature and not against it ...

Many thanks for sharing your thoughts and comments

All the best Jan

*Link to article http://www.prickleshedgehogrescue.org.uk/information/basic-facts/