Traffic cone hedgehog house

[Ranter]

Our new allotment has loads of the most enormous slugs & even when I'm feeling particularly mean there's no way I can get them all with my trowel, so we thought we'd try & attract slug-eating wildlife.

One of my friends has a traffic cone which was abandoned in the lane behind her house. We all saw on tv how a hedgehog home can be made with these, but we disagree on how to do it & can't remember exactly what was said.

Which end should be blocked up & what should we put inside?

[Camile]

Hi,

I would be interested in that because yesterday night ... I was walking the dog and just went on to check the chicken pens for signs of a mink ..

and in the hedge of the field .. the dog found a hedgehog (now I get where the name comes from !) ...

So I kindly relocated him in the veggies patch, wich is fenced in ... so hopefully he will leave here happily .. and I hope to find another one to keep him company.

I've heard about giving him milk also .. is that true ?

Thanks,
Camile

[dibnah]

Don't give it milk as they cannot digest it, the best thing to feed a hedgehog is cat food. Also If you have used slug pellits ( not saying you do ) if the hedgehog eats a decaying slug thats been killed with pellits it will kill the hedgehog but I don't think that keeping it penned in is a good idea also it will need somewhere to hibernate over the winter. I would put it back if I were you.

[Shirley]

http://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/Discov ... _milk.html

don't give it milk!

[Camile]

Hello ..

I didn't give him milk ..

and the next morning he was out of the veggie patch anyway ..

I found him the day after and I've put it back in there ...

hopefully he will know the way in and out now .. and can come and eat my slugs and all .. and then go home ..

I wouldn't keep him completly penned up in there on his own .. I'm sure he has a family out there ... but if he could bring them with him .. I would appreciate ..

I recently got a new slugs/insect destroying team:
They are quick flighty and noisy ... yesterday was they first day ranging and they found there way to the veggie patch:


and they seem to enjoy the shed !


Camile

[dibnah]

well he would have to get out in the morning other wise all the milk would build up on his doorstep.

[Shirley]

They are lovely Camile!!!

[Camile]

Indeed they are .. I hope they will keep the midgets down too ..

And a blue male is coming to join them tomorrow !

but what a noise they made while on the roof !

[Ranter]

In the absence of knowledge re the traffic cone &, apparently, of hedgehogs we've changed tack.

We saw a toad, so have piled up all the rocks we've dug out in a pile, creating spaces underneath. Hoping the toads will move in there. As we continue to dig out rocks, the pile is extending sideways. Room for a regular little community to move in. We hope.

[Camile]

Toads or frogs are good as well indeed ...

we see a few of them from time to time ..

but the other day I was mowing .. and didn't see the frog .. oops ...