European Gardening: HEDGEHOGS IN THE GARDEN, 1 by wallaby1

wallaby1 wrote:
I don't think you need to worry about the slugs being too big for hedgehogs, I saw one last year sitting on the path going to sleep next to a large half eaten slug. They just gnaw into them, it left the rest and went to sleep on the veg bed. It might have already filled itelf on cat food!

I have had some hedgehogs around for a while, I don't seem to get as many as I used to but there was a very small baby a few weeks ago running around in the daytime. I tried to take pics but it was either running or tucked it's head in, I have never seen such a small baby, it was not much more than 4" long.

There was also a huge-ginormous adult I saw both at night time when I had collected a couple of snails, as well as the day time. I didn't see it but as I walked along the path I naturally swerved and wondered why, as I had done that twice just before while coming back from throwing some snails, or rather had stopped as if there was something there. I had a torch but it's weak and was only shining well ahead, when I looked down there was a snail both times just in front of my feet, but when I looked all around I saw no more snails! I must have a 6th sense, the hedgehog was sat on the path and I swerved without thinking and I hadn't heard or seen it.

I don't have many slugs or snails as I have cleared them out and kept a constant watch, but there's always some that come from the neighbours or escape to breed. I just chuck them in the grass on the other side of my drive near the water, I have resident thrushes which I see around in the daytime hiding under shrubs, it's not long since they had another lot of young to feed which were hiding in my greenhouses. I saw the parent cracking a snail in the middle of the day in the dahlia bed, they are doing a good job of keeping the snails down, the Mistle Thrush also eats slugs. I'm finding empty snails shells everywhere.

This is the baby, it looks bigger than it was.