Hedgehogs in my garden - advice?!

[Ahhbiscuits]

I seem to have hedgehogs in my garden, think they’ve made a little home under my large shaded tree, dogs been trying to get to the tree root part behind my shed. Now seen one foraging around the garden, phoned a hedgehog rescue and they think may be a pregnant female, it’s extremely rotund! My question is; I don’t mind hedgehogs at all, but my dog is now having to go out on a lead for a wee.. do I keep them there? Is there people that can move them? Don’t mind them but not really fair on my dog and my little ones, they can’t even play out in the garden today because the hedgehog is wondering around my garden.

Why can’t your children play out there?

Just use the garden as usual. Hedgie will have hiding places. They run very fast. Our cat is frightened of them

They don’t pose any risk to your children..?
The dogs are an issue though.
Hedgehogs are endangered and hogs injured by dogs is common.

will have hiding places. They run very fast
Not as fast as a dog!
A hedgehog is no match for a dog.

The kids aren’t a problem. Hedgehogs will freeze or run away.
It’s unusual to see them actively out and about at this time of day.

If you see them out in the day it usually means they aren't very well, they normally only appear after dark, it probably needs to go to the hedgehog rescue if it is wandering around in the daytime

If you see them out in the day it usually means they aren't very well, they normally only appear after dark, it probably needs to go to the hedgehog rescue if it is wandering around in the daytime
Pregnant females/new mums are sometimes seen out in the day.
If they are moving ‘purposely’ they are often fine.

Unfortunately one of my dogs recently killed a hedgehog, it was awful as you can imagine.

He/she was in our garden and the dog must have suddenly spied it moving and the hedgehog scurried for its life but no match for a sighthound.

The other two dogs whilst interested in movement are not killers.

I would keep dog on a lead whilst in garden if you know the hedgehog is there and your dog may go after it.

Can you put some netting across the garden so that the hedgehog has a bit and you have the other bit.

They are no risk to your DC. Also, they are nocturnal so they won't be wandering about much during the day.

The dog is a problem though. You could try buying a hedgehog house that will protect them from the dog when they are sleeping and hope that they move in. Don't let the dog into the garden unsupervised at night though.

Try the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and Hedgehog Street for advice. Or you could tweet this guy @hedgehoghugh, he's an ecologist and hedgehog expert.

Ahh I miss my resident hedgehog! Used to decimate the population of slugs, have you got a local allotment that would be happy to house a hedgehog? Definitely won’t cause harm to the kids (barring fleas) but I’d worry about your dog.

Have you got a local allotment that would be happy to house a hedgehog?

It doesn't quite work like that. Hedgehogs usually have multiple different sleepover places in their territory, they don't spend every night in the same nest. Usually, they only stay in one place if they have babies or are hibernating. They might come back.

Can the hedgehog rescue take them for you, they are no danger to your kids or the dog but the dog or other animals could attack them especially the babies. Whereabouts do you live, is there a rescue centre or wildlife centre near you.

I didn’t mean I’m worried about the hedgehog hurting my children, I meant my children hurting the hedgehog when they’re out their running around and kicking their ball about etc. They’re under 5. The hedgehog rescue thinks it’s a pregnant one, hence why it’s foraging around the garden in the day time. Just feel bad for my dog he can’t run around chasing his ball, he’s a terrier so he’d definitely go for the hedgehog and I don’t want him to hurt it 🥺 Hedgehog very friendly, wandered right up to me a couple of times, a handspan away from me!

Hedgehog rescue won’t take it as said if it’s pregnant female best to leave it be

Can you barrier the shed bit off? Then let kids and dogs out as long as hedgehog in sight. We get them in our garden but only very occasionally see them in the day so unlikely to be an issue tomorrow hopefully.