|
|
Post by Auricula on Sept 25, 2006 23:32:54 GMT
Hi How can I encourage frogs - I have a wildlife pond with easy access no fish or fountain - but no frogs!! Also, I tried all the usual ways of encouraging hedgehogs but haven't seen any and I am worried that I might be attracting rats by mistake - how do you know what is eating the food?  |
|
|
|
Post by 4pygmies on Sept 26, 2006 6:07:38 GMT
Hi Auricula, You don't! This is something which always exercises me - all those little wooden houses, special feeds for various nice garden visitors etc - they are all very handy for rodents! Everyone has rats nearby and it has often puzzled why anyone would put bowls of cat food and the like out at night. I personally think that if you don't use chemicals and grow native plants to encourage insects and worms etc that hedgehogs will naturally visit your garden, if there are any about. I once asked a GC assistant about this very thing whilst looking at the vast array of special boxes, feeds, bowls with pictures of hedgehogs on (so the rats knew it wasn't for them...) and she shushed me and said that they were really good sellers! I think that's your answer!
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2006 6:51:54 GMT
auricula - do any of your neighbours have ponds? if so, ask if you could have some frog spawn to add to your pond next spring.  How long has your pond been established? Hedgehogs do leave quite distinctive "calling cards" BTW - have you seen any on your lawn? |
|
|
|
Post by madonplants on Sept 26, 2006 11:17:55 GMT
As stated do you have plenty of the right 'natural' food to encourage the hedgehogs in? Same goes for the frogs. Is there enough cover for them to do their foraging away from predators, so they feel safe when they are feeding? If your pond is ready for frogs they will come in and spawn. Frogs are the best judges at knowing if your pond is OK/ready for them to have their babies in! This could take upto 3 years. Like Rita asks, how old is the pond? We have a hedgehog in our garden and at present the garden is sparse, but the three compost bins the previous owner left, are full of worms and so they come into our garden to feed. Basically you have to ask yourself would you go to a friend's house to stay if, a) they had no food to feed you with and b) there was a chance that Al Qaeda could visit anytime and they could spot you a mile off! You wouldn't would you? Get these two things right and they will come and stay. Have you seen any hedgehogs about in neighbours gardens? Do you live near the countryside? What I am getting at is, are you near to the hedgehogs natural environment. If they are not in the immediate area, you will shruggle to get them in. It's like a friend of ours who loves sparrows, but can't get them to come to her garden. I got her to ask her neighbours, and they couldn't either. Obviously sparrows are rare where she lives. In this situation you are up against it to start with.
Hope this helps and I haven't gone on too much!!!
Keith
|
|
|
|
Post by Auricula on Sept 26, 2006 20:19:49 GMT
Thanks all Pond is 18months old. Next door have a pond teeming with tadpoles / frogs, so I'll maybe beg some spawn in Spring. Haven't seen any evidence of hedgehogs and my house is surrounded on 3 sides by fields. |
|
|
|
Post by madonplants on Sept 26, 2006 22:08:58 GMT
Thanks all Pond is 18months old. Next door have a pond teeming with tadpoles / frogs, so I'll maybe beg some spawn in Spring. Haven't seen any evidence of hedgehogs and my house is surrounded on 3 sides by fields. Hopefully you won't need to, as 18 months is still early days for a wildlife pond. I remember Charlie Dimmock saying on her wildlife series, it is best to allow the frogs to find your pond. That way they will stay. This could take upto three years. It is good advice. When you consider that on average from 1000 eggs you may get 4 frogs grow to full size. Do any of next door's frogs visit your garden at all? You maybe surprised. Do you have any pets like a cat or does one visit your garden as this can deter frogs and hedgehogs? I could go on, but get the pond right, get enough cover in and around the pond right, make sure there is plenty of oxygenating weed in the pond and the frogs will come. You maybe surprised with hedgehogs. I only saw our one as I had forgotton something in the car and went out late, after midnight, and heard some scurrying from around our compost bins. There it was, but unfortunately didn't hang around as they don't like too much human contact. I remember as a 15 year old boy, hand feeding an injured badger while on an RSPCA course, something I will probably never do again, I expect. Pity a great experience. I grew up in the countryside and seen them on a regular basis as we had a sett nearby, but to handfeed one was great. Keep at it they will come. Hope this helps. Keith |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2006 5:04:05 GMT
You may have hedgehogs alreaady but have not seen them. You might find their droppings, they are like a squeeze of toothpaste.
|
|
|
|
Post by sleepysunday on Sept 27, 2006 8:06:55 GMT
Thanks for that information Thelmon - it seems that I may have a hedgehog sheltering in my bathroom!
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2006 9:10:14 GMT
Ah. Yes. Hmm. Well, I think you should check the colour of the toothpaste on your bathroom floor ... if it's black you could well be right!
|
|
|
|
Post by sleepysunday on Sept 27, 2006 9:22:06 GMT
Red, white and blue striped - would that make it a 'British' hedgehog?
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2006 9:38:12 GMT
More than likely - Rule Brittania!
It's probably why you don't have much of a problem with slugs and snails in there, of course.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2006 11:45:49 GMT
Thanks all Pond is 18months old. Next door have a pond teeming with tadpoles / frogs, so I'll maybe beg some spawn in Spring. Haven't seen any evidence of hedgehogs and my house is surrounded on 3 sides by fields. I guess there is an easy route in and out of your pond for the frogs |
|
|
|
Post by Dutchy on Sept 27, 2006 17:45:42 GMT
Sorry to disappoint the Brits here. Red white and blue striped droppings make it Dutch.
You can encourage the frogs and hedgehogs by not being the tidiest of gardeners. They like a bit of old stuff to hide under.
I have a shallow hole in the ground with lots of old leaves in. It is in a dry spot underneath branches and other clippings and the hedgehog uses it as a bed.
The frogs overwinter in the mud under my stone raised fountain. Since it is switched off in winter and not in a pond but at the beginning of my artificial brooklet it is a very sheltered safe haven.
But you will find that frogs will start using your pond as soon as they have found it.
Dutchy
|
|
|
|
Post by toonia on Sept 27, 2006 18:02:11 GMT
Or French...bleu blanc rouge....
|
|
|
|
Post by madonplants on Sept 27, 2006 22:00:19 GMT
Have you got mud at the bottom of the pond, as frogs may spend the winter in that, quite often it is just the males, while the rest (mostly females) go outside the pond? This is normal practice , but there are always exceptions to the rule. Have you a compost heap as frogs can overwinter in there. Keep an eye for them there, you don't want to disturb them if possible.
Keith
|
|
|
|
Post by oldmoleskins on Sept 28, 2006 7:36:29 GMT
Also, I tried all the usual ways of encouraging hedgehogs but haven't seen any and I am worried that I might be attracting rats by mistake - how do you know what is eating the food? Feed them (hedgehogs, that is) something rats don't particularly like. From the other hedgehog thread: In case you want to feed one in the garden and don't want to use protein for fear of attracting more unwelcome visitors, we caught one in a rabbit cage-trap once, baited with fresh cabbage. It had eaten every scrap while in there. I've never seen veg mentioned as hedgehog food... OM. yes, we let it go. |
|
|
|
Post by 4pygmies on Sept 29, 2006 5:59:55 GMT
Is there anything rats don't like?? They even eat each other when one is dead or injured - vile, they are....
|
|
|
|
Post by madonplants on Sept 29, 2006 8:27:51 GMT
Maybe worth getting a pest control specialist out to see if you do have rats or not. I know it would be an expensive experiment if you don't, but you would know one way or the other. If you do, get a good company, maybe a household name and not the guy around the corner!
Keith
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2006 7:06:47 GMT
I'd love to have a hedgehog or two in our garden, there are so many slugs etc for them to eat.I know there are some around here as I've seen one or two fatalities on the road, poor things! But I really don't think they can get into our garden unless we put them there, as we have high walls all round the garden and the only way through to that is through the house. We have a high gate on one side which separates us from our neighbours but there's no way they could squeeze under that. It's such a shame, they would be treated like royalty......
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2006 17:02:50 GMT
Hello folks.Been away and just catching up.This is a lovely thread.I've got a pond and we have lots of frogs in it.They lay loads of spawn and we see many tadpoles...we also have our fair share of newts. I grow a clump of rhubarb at one end of ours...the leaves overhang and provide shade on the water.it's also a good hiding place for them.And of course there's the added bonus of the crumble and custard  |
|
|
|
Post by oldmoleskins on Oct 1, 2006 17:16:35 GMT
What desbralass? you leave bowls of crumble and custard out to encourage them??? You're too good to them!
OM.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2006 20:58:59 GMT
LOL ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by Cheerypeabrain on Oct 10, 2006 20:20:25 GMT
I don't use chemicals in the garden...have used the 'advanced-growing success 'wildlife friendly' slug pellets' earlier in the year (June)in the GH and CF...anyway...whilst clearing out some of the summer bedding today I noticed lots of empty snail shells...I haven't noticed a lot of garden birds (we tend to get wood-pigeons and collared doves rather than thrushes at the moment)
...could they be evidence of hedgehog activity? I know we've had the odd froggie nip in from neighbours' gardens...and I know we have wood-mice under the shed.
I'd love us to have a hedgehog too...haven't seen any poo tho...
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2006 6:48:22 GMT
CPB - if you are using slug pellets there perhaps isn't enough food in your garden for frogs and or hedgehogs.  The empty snail shells show how successful the slug pellets have been, I reckon. |
|
