Hedgehogs in my garden

[cotswoldston]

How on earth can I get rid of hedgehogs from my garden? They are chewing up my lawn to such an extent that they have left a huge bare patch about 4 mtr long by 2 mtr wide. They are obviously digging for worms etc. but the ground is now bare.

[NORMANTHEDOG]

leave them out some food and they wont dig

[Mattk]

Check your perimeter fencing as there must be a gap thorugh which they gain access.

[nickmo]

Post them to paulineward - she has a snail problem and h/hogs are just what she needs....or failing that, check fences and hedges and block any lifted wire fences, or push chicken wire into gaps in a hedge. Only a physical barrier can really stop them getting in.

Hedgehogs are good for the garden though as they control pests that would be a lot worse than scuffing the lawn like leatherjackets and beetle larvae. Are you sure its not badgers doing this though or have you seen the hedgehogs at it? - the area you state seems quite a size and badgers will do this sort of 'grubbing for insects' in turf quite happily.

Most gardeners try to attract h/hogs for the benefit of pest control. One possible soulution is in fact to make your lawn more healthy - maybe relay the turf - this will remove the insects that are attracting the h/hogs or badgers as it will remove the food source - do not put down poisonous fertilisers for the grass though or use similar to kill slugs, etc in the grass as the h/hogs will eat the insects and be poisoned as well - then you get the wrath of the hog lovers descending.

And useless fact - h/hogs are one of the most primitive mammals, with records of similar creatures going back to the dinosaurs period.

[lady_p_gold]

Well my grandmother used to swear by putting Deep Heat on the lawn, they hate the smell.

[lady_p_gold]

And the hedgehogs never got rheumatism either haha

[nickmo]

8 sq mtrs of Deep Heat..........................! nothing in the county would have a chance!

Begs the question, what other uses are here for Deep heat then??

[cheater123]

plant some mines

[Catwoma]

If you are a gardener why would you want to be rid of the hedgeogs? They get rid of snails and slugs that will eat your plants. Like suggested before I would put food out for them, check your fences and look to another animal that has caused this damage. If you think about it the size of the damage done is far too large to be a hedgehog anyway. Could you not sit up one night and watch for whoever is the real culprit?

[heathfield]

Contrary to what you'd think, hedgehogs are excellent climbers, and can scale a wall or fence in no time, if they want to. And as you've found out, they can be powerful diggers, too.

[compman]

I'm lucky to have hedgehogs visiting my garden quite regulary, and I've never known then to be destructive at all.

If it is hedgehogs you have, then please don't put slug pellets down, we don't want their numbers depleted by having eaten poisoned slugs and snails.

[WendyS]

I would be absolutely delighted to have hedgehogs in my garden to rid me of all the slugs and snails which do so much damage to my vegetable plants. Because it has been so dry in many parts of the country, they are having to dig very deep for worms. (By the way, are you sure it is hedghogs and not badgers, who also eat worms, which are causing the damage as I wouldn't have expected hedgehogs to create such a bare patch?) Unless you've actually seen them to vertify, I'd rather suspect badgers for damage on this scale. However, if you put out somed tinned meat-based cat food, I'm sure they will go for the easy food option and leave your garden alone.