Hi - don't know if you can help - we used to have hedgehogs in our garden but due to having to have it all fenced to keep in animals we are now overun with slugs and snails and do not want to use slug pellets or similar. Do you know of anyone who could let us have any, locally - they would have apprx 1 acre to roam in.
Hopefully I can turn a negative into a positive...
Thanks for your e-mail.
Unfortunately, I have to advise you that I would never advocate the keeping of hedgehogs in captivity for the sole purpose of keeping down a slug and snail population.
It's actually a popular myth that hedgehogs solely eat slugs and snails - the truth is that only 5% of their diet consists of molluscs and they are actually a real last resort for the animal. Hogs much prefer beetles, caterpillars and worms, even birds eggs and tiny mammals, before they even consider munching slugs and snails. An over-reliance on slugs and snails actually leads to very poor health for hedgehogs, with many developing lungworm, which may turn into full-blown pneumonia and, eventually, death (if left untreated).
Hedgehogs actually only need a small space under fences to squeeze through (about 5-6cm is usually enough), so I don't know whether it would be possible for you to raise the bottom of your fencing by that much to allow them entry. Whilst the hogs won't rid you of slugs and snails you could actually encourage them in and help their falling population by feeding them a dish of white meat-based cat or dog food (in jelly) and a bowl of fresh, clean water each night. If your other animals (esp. cats and dogs) are likely to wolf it all down, you may wish to invest in a hedgehog feeding station, which prevents access to other animals.
The only exception to the rule about keeping wild hedgehogs in semi-captivity (i.e. in an enclosed garden with no means of escape) is to provide a home to those with disabilities which would prevent them from existing safely in the wild. The main categories for this would be hogs which are blind, or which are disabled by the loss of a back limb (although, incredibly, hogs can and do survive in the wild with a missing back leg - if they lose a front limb, however, that is generally the end of the road, as they need their front legs for digging and for mobility).
If you were serious about wanting to keep a hog in semi-captivity you should be prepared to purchase an outdoor hedgehog house (£25 upwards) and possibly a feeding station too (again, another £25-30) to prevent your other animals stealing their food. Alternatively, a rabbit hutch makes a good hoggie home, but you must give them freedom to come and go as they please (don't keep them locked up). You'd also need to supply suitable food (cat/dog food as stated, cat biscuits, treats like dried mealworms, sultanas, crushed peanuts, etc) every day.
The bottom line is hedgehogs are born to live in the wild and not in enforced captivity in an enclosed garden (with the exception of disabled hoggies), and certainly not for the sole purpose of keeping down a slug and snail population !
You may wish to consider contacting the Cedar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kirkby (I have copied them into this e-mail). I do know that they take in a lot of hedgehogs each winter, but I suspect they will probably have released most of these by now, and I don't know whether they would have had any disabled ones this Winter. However, it may be useful for them to have your details on record, should you want to look after a disabled hog in the future, although they may want to check your garden first.
You may also wish to consider contacting Janet Peto, who is an official British Hedgehog Preservation Society carer for the Nottinghamshire area - her telephone number, according to the BHPS website (
http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/carers.htm), is 07940 714 830
Fortunately, all the hogs living in Snape Wood seem to be in excellent health, and I do not currently have any which I am rehabilitating.
In terms of your slug/snail problem there are some non-pesticide remedies which you may consider. The most common slug repellents are beer traps, which you can buy from Wilkos, or adding two cloves of garlic to a watering can (and letting it 'stew' for a while) and pouring that over the plants you want the slugs to avoid. It's also recommended that you water plants first thing in the morning, rather than last thing at night (which makes it easier for slugs to come to the surface). Also, some birds (thrushes in particular) are very partial to snails.
I hope this helps
regards
Clayts
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