To ask if you to do just one little thing this evening..

[BooksAreMyOnlyFriends]

Put out some water to help the hedgehogs and other wildlife. My local rescue is inundated with hedgehogs at the moment. Mostly abandoned dehydrated babies. A lot don't make it

Leave food too if you can. Any cheap dry cat food is good. If you have no food, don't worry, just leave water. Leave lots of dishes scattered about your front garden and back garden and remember to fill them before it gets dark.


Other things that can help:

Try and make sure fences have gaps so the hedgehogs can garden hop.

Be careful when gardening and leave plenty of cover for wildlife to escape under.

If at all possible don't use slug pellets and other chemicals around the garden.

But most importantly, get the WATER ready for tonight and help our prickly friends stay healthy and feed their babies ❤

[BooksAreMyOnlyFriends]

Buggered up the title

Anyway. WATER.

[crazycurry]

Will do.

[Bloodycats]

Will put a little dish out the front garden!
How big does the gap need to be? I have indoor cats so don’t want them escaping out the fence!

[FuzzyPuffling]

Hurrah for hedgehogs!

We always have water out for them and also a hedgehog house. I'm not sure they use it, but I know they are in the garden because they leave me little "presents".

Don;t feed them mealworms though. They love them but they are not good for hedgies - too many can remove calcium from their bones which is dangerous.

[FuzzyPuffling]

A hedgehog highway hole needs to be the size of a CD.

[Livedandlearned]

How will we know if we have hedgehogs? We live in a rural area and I've never seen one here, dead or alive.

I've put water out anyway.

[Havingarethink]

My mum is on constant hedgehog watch. I get an update every day, they usually come into her garden at 3am. They are always well taken care of.

[BooksAreMyOnlyFriends]

Livedandlearned

You might not have any, but yes always good to put water out just in case. I think they get to know where the food and water is so if you regularly leave it, and if they are in your area, you'll gain friends for life.

They do poo a lot. Usually very dark in colour. A bit smaller than cat poo. So look out for that.

Keep watch after dark and if you keep your windows open at night you can often hear them snuffling. They are quite loud when you have a little group.

[BeenHereForAges]

Will do! I'll go source some dishes

[Paramicha]

Don't leave food out if you don't want rats, foxes and other rodents.
I'll leave water.

[Livedandlearned]

Thanks for that, I'll keep the water going, and tell dh to listen for snuffing as I sleep through everything

[WorraLiberty]

Top tip

Leave water in china bowls rather than plastic or tin.

The very cute little foxy bastards kept running away with my plastic and tin water bowls

[4SimpleWords]

Thank you

[Sunburntnoseandears]

Watched a lovely video of a pet hedgehog giving birth. Def don't agree they should be pets but the birth was amazing! Didn't know they had spines within a few hours of being born!

[Juells]

Not milk it kills hedgehogs.

[GrrrAaargh]

Sadly no hedgehogs in my garden, but I have an accidental bird station. What was supposed to be a container of baby spinach has become a dust bath central, and there's a container of water for drinks after all that dust bathing. I love watching the sparrows.

[thaegumathteth]

How shallow should the dish be?

[megletthesecond]

I've just watered a patch of soil to make mud for the bees too.

[crazycurry]

Upturned dustbin lids are good because they can be partially buried and hedgehogs can climb out.

Also, if you have a pond make sure that there is a shallow end where they can climb out as they will visit them for drinks and food.

[SunshineCake]

I've sent ds to put water out now in case I forget later. No doubt dh will roll his eyes and laugh. My hanging baskets and front pots are in the paddling pool that belongs to the dog .

[jigsawpiece]

Thanks for the reminder. I've done it before and will do tonight

[Soubriquet]

I foster hogs occasionally and had to hand rear a week old baby 2 years ago.

I love hogs and very passionate about them

Water bowls will be left out

I had to rescue a honey bee from the pool yesterday so obviously water is something everyone wants

[MrsMozartMkII]

Thank you!

[ChristmasInJuly]

How funny, DH saw one just last night, scurrying across our front garden. I’ll put some water out tonight incase he or she comes back!

[WorraLiberty]

Yes, the birds will appreciate the water too.